Rushden & Diamonds 0 Derby County 1

Rushden & Diamonds went down to their first defeat in pre-season with a narrow defeat by Derby County, although the Rams were very wasteful of a number of chances that might have decided the game before half-time. After the Derby goal, the Diamonds came into the game more strongly, and a Lee Tomlin chip that hit the bar might just have surprised the team that was in the Premiership last season, and which featured a significant number of players with Premiership experience.

Manager Garry Hill rang the changes following the NFA Maunsell Cup victory at the weekend, possibly mindful of the fact that there is a further friendly in two days time. Midfielder Rob Wolleaston took to the field in a Diamonds shirt for the first time, and it was also a first chance for the home fans to see triallist Justyn Roberts, playing at left back. Dean McDonald partnered Michael Rankine up front.

The Diamonds formation was based around a flexible midfield trio of Wolleaston, Woodhouse and Corcoran, with Lee Tomlin continuing in his wide right role. The new yellow away strip was on show for the Diamonds, with the visitors wearing their traditional White Strip.

The Diamonds narrowly avoided going behind early on, with Kris Commons looking especially dangerous down the left, cutting inside to shoot narrowly wide early on, and then creating several chances for Hulse and Ellington. Gary Teale was given a lot of space on the Derby right, and he too made a number of dangerous raids forwards.

The Diamonds forced a couple of corners by their determination and willingness to chase loose balls, with Curtis Woodhouse leading his team by example. Rob Wolleaston seemed to enjoy the flexibility of the three central midfielders, and he looked good going forwards towards the Rams penalty area.

Rob Hulse signed for the Rams for £1.75M in the close season, but he missed several chances to prove that worth, firing wide from a Kazmierczak lay-off, heading wide from a Teale cross and then missing a gilt edged chance when another Teale cross found him in space about 10 yards out, but in keeping his header down he managed to see it bounce up over the bar from close range. A further chance fell to Hulse in space, as a cross squirmed off Chris Hope, but he lashed a shot from close range over the bar.

Alan Marriott was also illustrating his qualities, with a number of smart saves, as well as good handling from Derby corners. Commons and Teale also wasted further chances with wayward shots and free kicks.

Just after the half-hour good work by the Diamonds strikers created a chance for Rob Wolleaston, but the midfielder fired over. Almost immediately he appeared to start limping, and was soon replaced by Scott Mitchell . It later transpired this was a planned substitution.

It wasn't just Hulse that was wasting chances for the Rams, as Ellington also wasted a couple of chances created by Commons - one of them well caught by a Diamonds fan on the Peter De Banke terrace.

The Diamonds could thus consider themselves somewhat fortunate to go in level at half-time, but would have been pleased by the way they had competed with a side that was in the Premiership last season.

Half time: Rushden & Diamonds 0 Derby County 0

It was rather a surprise that the only substitution at half-time was Roy Carroll taking over from Stephen Bywater in the Rams goal, and Carroll was called into action almost immediately, as Curtis Osano won a corner and Chris Hope narrowly missed with a header. Dean McDonald then cut in from the wide left and had a shot that narrowly went wide.

From the resultant goal kick the Rams went ahead, as Chris Hope failed to deal with the long ball, and it fell to Nathan Ellington, who had an easy dink over Alan Marriott . Kris Commons then tested Marriott with a powerful shot by the Diamonds stopped made one of several excellent saves he made on the night. Commons was looking a real threat down the left, beating both Osano and Tomlin in one run, but only managing a disappointing cross behind the goal.

Although there was initial concern that this goal might signal the floodgates opening, it is to Garry Hill's side's credit that in fact they came into the game more after the goal - even before a large number of substitutes affected the rhythm of the game.

On 54 minutes the Diamonds could easily have equalised. Michael Rankine was winning his share of headers against quality defenders such as Albrechtsen and Stubbs, and it was one of these in the centre of the pitch that found Dean McDonald on the edge of the "D". He laid it wide to Lee Tomlin, who saw that Carroll was coming out to narrow the angle, so he attempted a chip which was almost perfect, as it beat the goalie, but hit the bar and rebounded to safety.

The same trio combined again a minute later, as McDonald came back into his own half to dispossess a midfield player dwelling on the ball, firing a long ball wide to Lee Tomlin on the right, who hit an early cross that narrowly eluded Michael Rankine.

Phil Gulliver was having a sound game against quality strikers, with one particular goal-saving header on 56 minutes. Curtis Osano was impressing going forwards as he had done on Saturday, and wasn't afraid to cut inside when Lee Tomlin created space by running wide. Michael Rankine showed the benefits of his work during the summer as he controlled a difficult ball, then showed great balance to set off on a powerful run and hit a shot that was deflected for a corner.

Carroll was certainly the more busy of the two goalkeepers used by the Rams, and he made a good save from a Lee Tomlin shot that was the end product of a move started by Mitchell and Corcoran, and built upon by Dean McDonald. McDonald himself had a chance as a Carroll punch fell to him from a free kick, but a few minutes later the striker showed skills and determination in the penalty box not seen at Nene Park since the days of Onandi Lowe as he beat two of the substitute defenders in a very confined space in the penalty box, and then got away his shot which bounced off Carroll and away to safety.

At the other end Marriott continued to impress, as replacement strikers Villa and Dickinson looked threatening, saving well from Villa low down, and then being sharp off his line to deny Dickinson.

The game ended with a scoreline that reflected the second half well, but the Rams will regret wasting so many chances in the first. The Diamonds now only have two days to recover before the visit of an Arsenal XI on Thursday evening - note that this game kicks off at 7pm.

Full-time: Rushden & Diamonds 0 Derby County 1

Teams:

Rushden & Diamonds (Yellow): Alan Marriott : Curtis Osano - Chris Hope (Gareth Jelleyman 73) - Phil Gulliver - Justyn Roberts : Lee Tomlin (Lee Phillips 67) - Rob Wolleaston (Scott Mitchell 35) - Michael Corcoran - Curtis Woodhouse : Dean McDonald - Michael Rankine (Daryl Clare 73)

Subs Not Used : Sagi Burton , Jon Challinor

Derby County (White) : Stephen Bywater (Roy Carroll 45), Paul Connolly (Tyrone Mears 71), Jay McEveley (Jordan Stewart 71), Paul Green (Richard Alongo 62), Martin Albrechtsen, Alan Stubbs (Lewin Nyatanga 66), Gary Teale, Przemyslaw Kazmierczak, Nathan Ellington (Liam Dickinson 74), Rob Hulse (Emanuel Villa 62), KrisCommons (Steve Davies 74)

Goals: Nathan Ellington (47)

Referee: Mr R Beeby

Attendance: 886

Joint Man of the Match : Curtis Woodhouse / Alan Marriott