adminDerby County rallied from a goal down to beat Blackburn Rovers 3–1 at Pride Park Stadium, moving past the 50-point mark and claiming back-to-back home victories.
Head coach John Eustace applauded his side’s outstanding second-half display after a challenging opening period against his former club.
Second-half strikes from Ben Brereton Diaz, Matt Clarke and Rhian Brewster turned the contest around and secured all three points for the Rams.
Derby had fallen behind just before the break when captain Lewis Travis conceded a free-kick after a rash challenge on Yuki Ohashi.
From the resulting set piece, Hayden Carter headed home to give Rovers the lead.
Reflecting on the performance, Eustace admitted the first half was tough.
He acknowledged that Blackburn were in strong form and warned beforehand that the fixture—Derby’s third in a week—would be demanding. He was unhappy with his team’s display both in and out of possession before the interval.
However, he praised the response after half-time, explaining that tactical tweaks made the difference.
Adjustments to the positioning of Bobby Clark and Sammy Szmodics helped Derby gain more control and play with greater attacking intent. The changes paid off as the hosts dominated the second period.
On Travis’ first-half error, Eustace did not hold back, describing the challenge as unnecessary and disappointing. He revealed that the midfielder had acknowledged his mistake and accepted responsibility.
Despite that lapse, the manager was pleased with Travis’ improved showing after the break, highlighting the collective resilience and quality shown by the entire squad in securing an important comeback victory.
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