Some Derby County supporters have taken to Twitter to praise Jamie Paterson following his excellent performance during the Rams’ 3-2 win over Birmingham City.
Derby came into the game following a difficult past few days for the club.
Chris Martin put the Rams ahead of just 90 seconds, before assisting Martyn Waghorn after the break to give the hosts a two-goal advantage.
Birmingham to their credit, however, hit back to draw level and then it took a fine Kelle Roos save to deny the Blues taking the lead from the penalty spot.
Derby used that penalty miss to galvanize themselves, and Paterson became the unlikely hero as the on-loan winger struck the winner with a low finish past Lee Camp.
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Jamie Paterson wins over the Derby supporters:
The second half was a broken game of football. Both teams were losing possession easily, while gaps were forming all over the place for the attackers to exploit.
But from Derby’s perspective, there were some real positives. Chris Martin was superb, Curtis Davies was a rock in defence and Paterson justified his place in the team.
The wide player arrived in the summer on loan from Bristol City. The thought among fans was that Paterson was a panic deadline day signing to beef up the squad.
Against the Blues, however, he showed much more than that. He was direct and hardworking, he linked up well with Martin and provided moments of real quality.
The victory lifts Derby up to 14th in the Championship table. It ends a testing spell for Phillip Cocu and his side, and now they can look forward with greater optimism.