Derby County are firmly in the race for promotion from League One, but the following weeks could be pivotal in the outcome of that push.
The Rams find themselves fourth in the third tier, one point away from the top two and three points away from leading. That is despite a run of results that have been far from the best for manager Paul Warne in the past week or so.
A 0-0 draw against a stubborn Lincoln City looked far worse once the East Midlands side stumbled to a 1-0 defeat at relegation battlers Reading. Home comforts would be required to turn things back onto a winning path, with Cheltenham their next challenge at Pride Park.
The performance wasn’t quite as expected though, with a difficult start only compounded by a deflected Liam Sercombe strike shortly after half-time to give the away side the lead. There was a turnaround on the cards though as Max Bird’s effort from a free-kick nestled into the back of the net.
Into the final ten minutes, a push for a winner became reality when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s cross found James Collins for an acrobatic finish. “I don’t think we were deserved of the win,” Warne told BBC Radio Derby after the match.
“Cheltenham played the pitch better than we did, it was definitely a game for winter football. They stretched us first-half, they ran in behind, their front two worked tirelessly and didn’t give us any time on the ball, we didn’t show any character on the ball. We played safe, we didn’t get in-behind them, we didn’t have any aggression in our game…”
Despite that, the Rams walk away with three points to cap off January, with the promotion race still in sight. With that said, Derby County News takes a look at the next five League One fixtures and how they compare to the other teams chasing an automatic place.
Derby County fixtures
Charlton Athletic (A) – February 3
Next up for the Rams is a trip to the capital to face Charlton Athletic, with hopes of starting a new run of wins together. The Addicks are 18th and without a win since November, a run that has spanned 11 games in League One.
They are also managerless after dismissing Michael Appleton in the middle of January, with some disillusionment coming from the fans.
Shrewsbury Town (H) – February 10
Following a trek on the road, Warne’s side return to Pride Park a week later to host Shrewsbury Town. The Salops are 15th in League One, but found a slight bounce in their first match under returning boss Paul Hurst. The reverse fixture ended 1-0 to Shrewsbury in October.
Exeter City (A) – February 13
The games start to come thick and fast again in February as a midweek trip to Exeter City is on the cards shortly after. The Exiles are 14th in the division, with a run of form that has only seen them lose one in their last five, with three wins. The reverse fixture ended 2-0 to Derby in October.
Stevenage (H) – February 17
A tough spell of matches follows as Derby host playoff hopefuls Stevenage at Pride Park in a huge clash. Under Steve Evans, the Boro have continued their steady rise and have more than deserved their place in the race at the top. The reverse fixture ended 3-1 to Stevenage in October.
Barnsley (A) – February 24
Ending this block of five matches is a trip to Oakwell to face Barnsley, a side that Derby have played a fair few times in recent years. The Yorkshire-based outfit are just behind the Rams in the table, sitting fifth, and will be looking to put themselves in the mix for top two. The reverse fixture ended 3-0 to Derby in November.
Average league position of Derby opponents: 12th
Portsmouth fixtures
Oxford United (A)
Northampton Town (H)
Carlisle United (A)
Cambridge United (H)
Reading (H)
Average league position of Portsmouth opponents: 15th
Bolton Wanderers fixtures
Barnsley (H)
Cambridge United (A)
Northampton Town (A)
Wycombe Wanderers (H)
Charlton Athletic (H)
Average league position of Bolton opponents: 13th
Peterborough United fixtures
Wigan Athletic (H)
Exeter City (A)
Wycombe Wanderers (A)
Port Vale (H)
Blackpool (H)
Average league position of Peterborough opponents: 15th