Derby County secured a vital 2-1 victory over Reading on Tuesday night – and one player continued his excellent run of form.
Derby County aimed to make it three wins on the bounce when they hosted Reading at Pride Park last night.
Paul Warne’s men have reached a point in the season where securing the result is more important than the performance to keep the pressure firmly on their promotion rivals.
Derby arrived into this fixture one point ahead of Bolton Wanderers, who they play against on Saturday, and it stayed that way at full-time as goals from Dwight Gayle and Conor Hourihane’s penalty cancelled out Reading’s initial equaliser.
After scoring for the third game running, Gayle has proven to be an inspired piece of business on a free transfer with the 34-year-old decimating defences in the third tier.
The veteran striker stole the plaudits once more last night, however, it was January arrival Ebou Adams who continued his excellent form.
Ebou Adams praised for his performance against Reading
Adams has been Derby’s most consistent player since joining on loan from Cardiff.
A midfield destroyer, whose main purpose is to win possession back for his team and protect the defence, Adams has flourished in a central role.
Derby were previously lacking a physical presence and a tackling machine in the engine room, but the 28-year-old has stood up to the task.
He’s complemented the technical attributes of Hourihane and Max Bird superbly while offering the Rams a platform to win matches.
Adams has been a difference-maker in midfield and the Gambia star received praise once more for his performance against the Royals.
Writing in his post-match player ratings for the Derby Telegraph, Leigh Curtis waxed lyrical about his performance.
He wrote: “So strong and resolute in the middle of the park. Seemed to be in the thick of the action whether it was getting shots off, winning tackles and helping out his team-mates. A really good performance. 8”
Ebou Adams’ statistics against Reading
Gayle may have received praise for helping Derby to all three points with his goal, but Adams’ domineering display gave them the platform to see the game out.
He put his body on the line by blocking four shots, winning six of his eight ground duels and three tackles.
Aside from being productive off the ball, he was also impactful in possession as he made 54 touches, accurately placed four long balls and drew three fouls.
Simply put, Adams is a nuisance to play against and he’s one of the main reasons why Derby have a real shot at clinching automatic promotion.