Take a look at Derby County’s next five League One fixtures compared to their promotion rivals as the race heats up.
The League One promotion race is heating up, with Derby returning to winning ways against Port Vale at Pride Park. The Rams opened the scoring through Louie Sibley, who had a bit of fortune with his strike taking a wicked deflection beyond the goalkeeper.
Dwight Gayle opened his account for the club with a clever guided header towards the far post. Paul Warne‘s side confirmed all three points as Sibley scored his second with a vicious back post strike into the back of the net.
The victory keeps Derby in second, while the rest of the top five also managed to register a win over the weekend. It keeps the race for promotion wide open, so with that said, here’s a look at the next five Derby County fixtures and how they compare to the rest of the chasing pack.
Derby County fixtures
Bristol Rovers (A) – March 9
Next up for Derby is a clash at the Memorial Stadium with Bristol Rovers. The Gas still have very faint hopes of a playoff push, with plenty of quality in the side that could cause the Rams some problem on their day.
Former striker Chris Martin is likely to feature, while defender James Wilson is missing after a straight red card last time out.
League position: 11th.
Current form: Three wins, zero draws, two defeats.
Previous meeting: Derby County 2-1 Bristol Rovers – 25 November, 2023.
Reading (H) – March 12
The Derby fixtures come quickly in March as Reading make the trip to Pride Park next. The Royals have struggled with issues away from the pitch, but on it they have found form and started to impress in battling relegation.
League position: 16th.
Current form: Two wins, one draw, two defeats.
Previous meeting: Reading 1-0 Derby County – 23 January, 2024.
Bolton (H) – March 16
Back-to-back home games will see Derby host Bolton Wanderers in a major clash at the top of the table. The Rams could move themselves clear in second with victory, while a defeat would put Bolton in the driving seat and a draw could see those below take the initiative.
League position: 3rd.
Current form: Two wins, one draw, two defeats.
Previous meeting: Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Derby County – 2 September, 2023.
Northampton (A) – March 23
A trip to Sixfields Stadium awaits as Derby face Northampton in their final away match in March. The Cobblers are mid-table and comfortably safe from relegation, with hopes of ending their season on a high note.
League position: 12th.
Current form: Two wins, two draws, one defeat.
Previous meeting: Derby County 4-0 Northampton Town – 31 October, 2023.
Blackpool (H) – March 29
Blackpool round off the next set of five fixtures for Derby, with some hopes of a playoff push still on the cards. The Seasiders have been largely inconsistent at times this season and will need to end strong to finish in the top six.
League position: 8th.
Current form: Three wins, zero draws, two defeats.
Previous meeting: Blackpool 1-3 Derby County – 3 October, 2023.
Average opposition league position: 10th.
With ten fixtures left this season, Derby will be looking to edge closer to promotion with every passing game. The Bolton tie stands out as a clear head-to-head that offers a chance to take the driving seat in second.
However, should the Rams be inconsistent in their other fixtures, those chances will be blown anyway. It means now is the time to be consistent, picking up wins in any way necessary to get promotion over the line.
Portsmouth fixtures
Blackpool (A) – March 9
Burton (H) – March 12
Peterborough (A) – March 16
Barnsley (H) – March 23
Wycombe (A) – March 29
Current form: Four wins, one draw, zero defeats.
Average opposition league position: 10th.
Portsmouth took a huge step towards promotion as they overcame playoff challengers Oxford United last time out. Pompey will look to take even bigger strides in the coming weeks, with the likes of Peterborough, Barnsley and even Derby on the horizon.
Bolton fixtures
Barnsley (A) – March 5
Exeter City (A) – March 9
Oxford United (H) – March 12
Derby County (A) – March 16
Shrewsbury Town (H) – March 23
Current form: Two wins, one draw, two defeats.
Average opposition league position: 10th.
Bolton Wanderers have potentially one of their toughest run-ins coming before the end of the season. Games in-hand means that a congested fixture schedule awaits them in the next few weeks on top of difficult matches.
Ties with Barnsley, Oxford and Derby are coming up and will either put them in the driving seat for promotion or relying on results elsewhere.
Barnsley fixtures
Bolton (H) – March 5
Lincoln City (H) – March 9
Carlisle (A) – March 12
Cheltenham (H) – March 16
Portsmouth (A) – March 23
Current form: Four wins, one draw, zero defeats.
Average opposition league position: 12th.
Barnsley face a mixture of fixtures in their coming five matches, with the first and last spelling key fixtures against promotion rivals Bolton and Portsmouth. Between that, they have favourable ties against either mid-table teams or those struggling with relegation fears.
Peterborough fixtures
Northampton Town (H) – March 5
Burton Albion (A) – March 9
Stevenage (A) – March 13
Portsmouth (H) – March 16
Cheltenham (A) – March 23
Current form: Two wins, zero draws, three defeats.
Average opposition league position: 11th.
Peterborough have been looking to turn their poor form around and after back-to-back victories, will feel they have. The Posh have a favourable run coming, though successive clashes with promotion rivals Portsmouth and Stevenage could prove a key moment in their race for top two.
Our verdict
With the race for promotion nearing the final few weeks, it’s time for teams to show they have the nerve to reach the Championship. Portsmouth are in the driving seat on the table and will almost certainly book their place in the second tier if they can fend off their rivals in the coming fixtures.
Derby can keep hold of second, should they keep consistent enough and beat Bolton along the way. The Wanderers will be keen to stop that though, with a run that includes several teams involved in the run-in.
Barnsley and Peterborough will fancy their chances too, but will have to make their games in-hand count. It appears at this stage, as though it’s one of four teams that will be battling to join Portsmouth in the second tier.