Derby County got back to winning ways in emphatic style by beating Port Vale 3-0 at Pride Park this afternoon.
Derby raced out of the blocks in this contest and were ahead after just four minutes when an incisive ball from Curtis Nelson found the run of Joe Ward. The winger cut the ball back for Louie Sibley whose strike took two deflections before finding the back of the net.
Paul Warne’s side continued to create opportunities and were treating their supporters to some free-flowing football as Dwight Gayle scored his first goal for the club on the stroke of half-time.
He darted his header into the bottom corner following a superb cross from Ebou Adams before Sibley rounded off the scoring with his second.
Following back-to-back defeats, Warne needed this level of response from his squad as Derby got their automatic promotion hopes back on track.
Sibley’s goals lead that charge and Ward’s assists were equally impressive, but one man who has gone under the radar this season is centre-back Nelson and he was excellent once more today.
Curtis Nelson was a ‘pillar of solidity’ against Port Vale
Nelson has been one of the stand-out defenders in League One this term and has formed one of the meanest partnerships in the division with Eiran Cashin.
In the defeat to Charlton, Cashin moved to left-back in the absence of Craig Forsyth and Callum Elder, but Warne reverted to a three-at-the-back system today and that saw the 22-year-old play alongside Nelson and Sonny Bradley.
The defensive trio hardly put a foot wrong and Port Vale were unable to cause them many problems as they failed to register a single shot on target.
Nelson, in particular, was a huge reason for that as he made five clearances and won six of his seven aerial duels.
As a result, he was described by Derby Telegraph journalist Leigh Curtis as a ‘pillar of solidity’ in his post-match player ratings and this is a term that has been consistently attached to him throughout this campaign.
Unsung hero
If Derby do win promotion to the Championship this season, the prolific James Collins and assist machine Nathaniel Mendez-Laing will receive the most plaudits for firing them there, but Nelson arguably deserves the same level of praise.
The 30-year-old has played his part in helping the Rams keep an impressive 15 clean sheets and is rarely talked about.
But his presence at the heart of the Derby defence speaks volumes of his talent and alongside Cashin, the pair are difficult to breach.
It’s such foundations that give Warne’s side every chance of achieving promotion this season with Nelson deserving of more plaudits.