The road to Middlesbrough, long and slightly damp. Doctor Brown's under "New Management". New doesn't always mean better. The pub is a case in point.

Outside a sign points "Buy two, pay for them both". Its meaning lost until you get inside, five deep at the bar, three bar staff, the queues build.

You order "Two pints" on the basis you won't be served again. You taste the first; you don't want to be served again. A rack of ale left festering on the floor.

Route march. Wetherspoons, Isaac Wilson, good beer going off rapidly, we the customers are drinking their real ale dry.

Returning route march the Riverside is reached.

A full strength Derby, in Sky Blue, the toss turns us round. We set out our stall to contain. It's one paced yet we hold comfortably. Comfortably thanks to Lee Grant, who stops what our stand off defenders don't.

Christie has two, one is George Friend, the other is Kike whose shot finds Grant his equal.

George Thorne limps off, Jeff Hendrick runs on. He, Bradley Johnson and Jacob Butterfield are given the run around. We like butterflies float, rest but make no impression on the home side.

We still look comfortable, even in retreat.

In attack, we are slow and ponderous; Johnny Russell a good chance slotted into the keepers legs. Butterfield's corners bread and butter for Konstantopoulos, whilst in open play any advantage is swiftly lost as we turn back rather than take the ball forward.

Still a draw is a good result, we accept.

Second half matches the first, we ride our luck. Then it changes.

Being overrun in midfield Butterfield is pulled off and Andreas Weimann comes on.

He finds himself at left full back as the ball is less then effectively cleared. Three short passes later and Albert Adomah chips the ball over Grant to give the home side the lead.

No way back, Friend has a simple tap in following David Nugent's nice perfect centre from behind the Rams rearguard. Nugent was arguably offside but it's a moot point, it matters not.

Neither did the vagaries of the referee, who choose to book Chris Martin for an off the ball incident, yet let other challenges go unpunished.

Paul Clement said afterwards we lost the game because of his positive substitution in trying to win the game. He may of course be right but it's churlish to agree, personally I would have accepted three points out of the last two games, we achieved one.

Now I would put that down to Clement.

It's back up north next week to Hartlepool for the magic of the FA Cup, let's hope we rest the entire first team and grab three points the week after.

And yes that is tongue in cheek.

Match Highlights & Stats:

STATS: Here's a look at key statistics from #DCFC's meeting with @Boro at the Riverside Stadium this afternoon pic.twitter.com/moi9DnMo5w– Derby County (@dcfcofficial) January 2, 2016

Gaffer / Player Interviews:

Paul Clement thinks he got his tactics wrong:

COYR!!

Photo: Action Images

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