Steve's Sunday Summary - Week 3

Let's start with Tuesday. I think I saw a suggestion on an earlier thread that this might well have been our best performance ever at The Pirelli. Certainly that was the debate walking away from the ground.
Man of the match performance from Chris O'Grady for me but Matty Palmer and Tom Naylor ran him close, the back three were all superb, Jon McLaughlin pulled out a couple of top saves, Dyer and Akins played the wing back roles like they had been born to it, Jackson got his first goal and Beav was his usual 100% plus. A real team performance and one which has simply changed the mood and raised expectations.
A few puzzling decisions from the referee. The penalty that was given seemed to surprise everyone else in the ground. Much better shouts, two for us, one for them, waved away.
Funniest moment surely when Ben Turner cleared from defence straight on to the head of Ross Wallace who was still lying poleaxed on the ground having failed to win a free kick. Throw in to the Brewers!

Sorry to read on Friday that Phil Edwards had been allowed to leave. Phil has earned his place in Brewers folklore as a critical component of not one but two promotion winning sides and his goal on the final day of the League Two campaign at Cambridge will live long in the memory. I am sure we all wish him well at Oxford.
But football loyalties can be so very fickle, and there can be few us that will not see John Brayford's return to the fold as a strengthening of the squad . Eight years older, and vastly more experienced, not least as a star performer for his manager at Derby County and Sheffield United. Memories of watching him on TV as the Blades got to the semi-finals of two major cup competitions bombing down the right flank now stir up exciting opportunities in the minds of us all (with the possible exceptions of Lucas Akins and Tom Flanagan!)

And so to yesterday.For the first time since Colchester away in April I found myself reliant on Radio Derby for my match day fix. My impression is that we had some good spells, but were also pushed back at times. Little jig around the home office when the second equaliser went in. That is four in six for Tom Naylor and if I am not mistaken the one at 88 minutes yesterday was his earliest!

In this morning's paper he is listed second in the Championship top scorers, one behind Dwight Gayle and just ahead of Will Grigg and Glenn Murray though equal on goals so no idea what has determined the order. Looks good though!

In the final analysis, a point at the home of one of only six clubs to be crowned Premier League Champions has to be acceptable.Whilst Shearer and Sutton were claiming their medals we were finishing third in the Southern League behind Hednesford Town!

Hard to find a gripe this week, though 4,900 on Tuesday to follow the 4,700 for Bristol City is a little bemusing. And I understand that there are still several hundred tickets available for Derby on Friday which frankly beggars belief, even with Sky.

Five competitive games in August involving the Brewers, 23 goals. Must be worth £20. Though contrasting fortunes for Rams fans who who have shelled out to see their heroes five games for a return of just 4 goals.

Looking forward to seeing which of those records prevails, but I think we have the distraction of a cup game to get through before then................