Carlton Morris's 86th-minute equaliser earned Derby County their first point of the Championship season and denied Bristol City the chance to go top, as an absorbing contest at Pride Park finished 1-1. Scott Twine's composed first-half finish appeared set to extend the Robins' perfect start, but Derby's summer signing pounced on a late rebound to rescue the hosts after a night in which they had struggled badly to create clear chances.
Bristol City, who had twice as many shots as Derby and controlled long spells of the game, saw further opportunities go begging through Sinclair Armstrong and Anis Mehmeti, and were finally thwarted in stoppage time when Jacob Widell Zetterstrom clawed away a Twine free-kick that was heading for the top corner. For Derby, the draw halts a run of two successive defeats and offers a platform, while the visitors leave frustrated that their dominance brought only a single point.
Derbys Fast Start Meets Citys Growing Control
Derby began with the urgency of a side desperate to kick-start their campaign. Almost the entire opening 20 minutes were played in Bristol City's half as John Eustace's team pressed high and moved the ball quickly into wide areas. Inside two minutes, Callum Elder saw a strike deflected narrowly wide, Andi Weimann had a goal-bound effort smothered by a defender, and Morris drilled a shot from a tight angle that was cleared at the near post. Derby also felt they might have had a penalty when Elder's powerful drive appeared to strike the arm of Rob Dickie, but play was waved on.