Derby cruise past Portsmouth to end six-game winless run
Derby ended a six-game winless run in style with a 4-0 Sky Bet Championship victory over Portsmouth at Pride Park.
Kane Wilson, Eiran Cashin and Ebou Adams all struck before half-time as the Rams ran rampant in the opening period.
The visitors enjoyed plenty of possession but never threatened to get back into the contest and the result was put beyond doubt with Marlon Pack’s own goal midway through the second half.
Paul Warne made four changes from the midweek stalemate at Burnley as Nat Phillips, Callum Elder, Joe Ward and Dajaune Brown made way for Wilson, Craig Forsyth, Ben Osborn and Marcus Harness – who returned to the starting XI to face the club he made over 100 appearances for between 2019-2022.
Portsmouth made three changes from their draw against Norwich as Andre Dozzell and Callum Lang returned from suspension and Tom McIntyre replaced Regan Poole at centre-back.
Both teams played out goalless draws in midweek but it took Derby only eight minutes to open the scoring.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing fired in a low cross and Wilson ghosted in at the back post to fire past Nicolas Schmid.
The hosts scored with their second attack of note midway through the first half when Kenzo Goudmijn’s corner was headed home by Cashin.
Portsmouth finally threatened in the 28th minute when Colby Bishop pinched the ball off Forsyth and found Lang but Jacob Murphy could not force home his delivery from the right.
A minute later Derby made it three, with Mendez-Laing again causing problems down the left before feeding Forsyth, who squared for Adams to bundle home.
Matt Ritchie’s cross was volleyed wide by Bishop as Pompey sought a response and a Murphy cross-shot had to be punched away by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
John Mousinho made multiple substitutions to try and turn the tide in his side’s favour but the result was put beyond doubt when Harness got clear down the right after 65 minutes and saw his low cross turned into his own net by Pack.
Derby could have had a fifth when Pompey substitute Abdoulaye Kamara gave the ball away cheaply in his own half but Kayden Jackson fired over.
Pompey continued to be the architects of their own downfall – Zak Swanson’s clumsy touch allowing Jackson to find Liam Thompson, whose cross to the back post was headed narrowly wide by James Collins.
Jackson had a low effort stopped by Schmid as Derby threatened to inflict further damage late on and the Austrian keeper had to scramble the ball off his line after a mix-up with McIntyre as Pompey failed to register an effort on target.
