' The Build up to City's Big game from the Derby end '
Tue Mar 29, 2016 6:21 am
Derby County talking point: Steve Nicholson looks at the omens ahead of the Rams' trip to Cardiff and Cardiff expecting their biggest crowd for two seasons.
Derby Telegraph
By Derbysport
Tuesday 29th March 2016
By Steve Nicholson
Derby have endured mixed fortunes on recent visits to Cardiff
DERBY County have recorded only four wins in 28 visits to Cardiff and as happy hunting grounds go, the Welsh capital is not one for the Rams.
The first of their four victories was a 5-1 success in 1967 when Kevin Hector scored a hat-trick, the first of his six for Derby. John O'Hare scored twice.
Derby's last three wins at Cardiff have all been 2-0.
Ross MacLaren, with a penalty, and Trevor Christie scored in September 1985. It was early in the season that Derby climbed out of the old Third Division.
Those four wins have been the high points of trips to Cardiff but there have been many uncomfortable afternoons and evenings at Ninian Park, demolished in 2009 and now a housing development, and more recently at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Some of the visits have been painful - a couple of 4-1 defeats sandwiched a 6-1 mauling between 2009 and 2011.
Saturday's clash is expected to attract Cardiff's biggest home crowd of the season and is being viewed as crucial in the battle for top-six finishes.
Derby will be keen to further strengthen their position in the top six, where they have been for the past five months.
Cardiff, in seventh, are five points adrift of fifth-placed Derby but only three behind Sheffield Wednesday, who are sixth, although the Owls have a much better goal difference.
The margin for error for all teams drips away with each passing fixture. Derby and Cardiff each have eight games left in which to achieve their respective targets.
Saturday's showdown takes on greater significance because of the fixtures that follow a few days later; Cardiff travel to tackle leaders Burnley at Turf Moor and Derby entertain Hull City at the iPro Stadium.
Derby were relatively untroubled in winning at Cardiff last season thanks to a mature display. Revisiting the game highlights how much the team has changed in 14 months.
Only skipper Richard Keogh, midfielder Jeff Hendrick and striker Chris Martin of the 11 who started that day are probable starters on Saturday.
Of the others, Omar Mascarell, Jamie Ward and Simon Dawkins are no longer at the club. Ryan Shotton is on loan at Birmingham City, Lee Grant has lost his place in goal to Scott Carson, Craig Forsyth is out for the season, Will Hughes is building fitness after a serious knee injury and Jake Buxton is likely to be on the bench.
Coincidence? Maybe, or maybe not, but Derby played Cardiff in the 39th fixture of the 2006-07 season, the last time the Rams won promotion.
They won 3-1 that afternoon and went on to finish third before they defeated West Bromwich Albion in the play-off final.
Derby Telegraph
By Derbysport
Tuesday 29th March 2016
By Steve Nicholson
Derby have endured mixed fortunes on recent visits to Cardiff
DERBY County have recorded only four wins in 28 visits to Cardiff and as happy hunting grounds go, the Welsh capital is not one for the Rams.
The first of their four victories was a 5-1 success in 1967 when Kevin Hector scored a hat-trick, the first of his six for Derby. John O'Hare scored twice.
Derby's last three wins at Cardiff have all been 2-0.
Ross MacLaren, with a penalty, and Trevor Christie scored in September 1985. It was early in the season that Derby climbed out of the old Third Division.
Those four wins have been the high points of trips to Cardiff but there have been many uncomfortable afternoons and evenings at Ninian Park, demolished in 2009 and now a housing development, and more recently at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Some of the visits have been painful - a couple of 4-1 defeats sandwiched a 6-1 mauling between 2009 and 2011.
Saturday's clash is expected to attract Cardiff's biggest home crowd of the season and is being viewed as crucial in the battle for top-six finishes.
Derby will be keen to further strengthen their position in the top six, where they have been for the past five months.
Cardiff, in seventh, are five points adrift of fifth-placed Derby but only three behind Sheffield Wednesday, who are sixth, although the Owls have a much better goal difference.
The margin for error for all teams drips away with each passing fixture. Derby and Cardiff each have eight games left in which to achieve their respective targets.
Saturday's showdown takes on greater significance because of the fixtures that follow a few days later; Cardiff travel to tackle leaders Burnley at Turf Moor and Derby entertain Hull City at the iPro Stadium.
Derby were relatively untroubled in winning at Cardiff last season thanks to a mature display. Revisiting the game highlights how much the team has changed in 14 months.
Only skipper Richard Keogh, midfielder Jeff Hendrick and striker Chris Martin of the 11 who started that day are probable starters on Saturday.
Of the others, Omar Mascarell, Jamie Ward and Simon Dawkins are no longer at the club. Ryan Shotton is on loan at Birmingham City, Lee Grant has lost his place in goal to Scott Carson, Craig Forsyth is out for the season, Will Hughes is building fitness after a serious knee injury and Jake Buxton is likely to be on the bench.
Coincidence? Maybe, or maybe not, but Derby played Cardiff in the 39th fixture of the 2006-07 season, the last time the Rams won promotion.
They won 3-1 that afternoon and went on to finish third before they defeated West Bromwich Albion in the play-off final.
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Re: ' The Build up to City's Big game from the Derby end '
Tue Mar 29, 2016 7:47 am
Could be a huge attendance with all the free tickets given away, could be 20,000+?
Re: ' The Build up to City's Big game from the Derby end '
Tue Mar 29, 2016 7:56 am
Be no easy game for Derby at the CCS especially with a passionate crowd behind them. Even our biggest critic will admit that the two defeats we have endured at home seen some of our best football this season. It's crunch time 
Re: ' The Build up to City's Big game from the Derby end '
Tue Mar 29, 2016 12:29 pm
This feels like a cup final for us .
A loss coupled by a wednesday win pretty much finishes our season imo
This is a must win game i dont think a draw is even good enough
Saying that i think we will win comfortably 2-0
A loss coupled by a wednesday win pretty much finishes our season imo
This is a must win game i dont think a draw is even good enough
Saying that i think we will win comfortably 2-0