Striker Scored the Opener on a Fortunate Rebound in a Draw With West Brom
Patrick Agyemang capitalized on a goalkeeping error to score his eighth goal of the Championship season, putting Derby County ahead in their eventual 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion at Pride Park on Friday night. The American striker's 44th-minute strike appeared destined to secure three points that would have lifted the Rams into the playoff positions for the first time since August 2019.
Agyemang's goal arrived from Derby's first shot of an underwhelming opening period. When Callum Elder delivered a free-kick deep into West Brom's area, debutant Baggies goalkeeper Max O'Leary fumbled his attempt to gather the cross, dropping the ball directly at the feet of the alert striker, who calmly poked it over the line from close range.
The 25-year-old forward demonstrated clinical efficiency during his 85-minute performance, taking one shot on target and converting it. His composure in seizing upon O'Leary's mistake exemplified the predatory instincts that have made him a consistent scoring threat for Derby this campaign.
Beyond his goal, Agyemang contributed across multiple phases, completing 9-of-10 passes at 90% accuracy, creating one chance, and successfully completing two dribbles. He won five ground duels while drawing three fouls from West Brom defenders, though he was caught offside once and dispossessed twice during Derby's attempts to extend their advantage.
However, Agyemang's efforts ultimately proved insufficient as Chris Mepham's dramatic 95th-minute header salvaged a point for Eric Ramsay's struggling visitors. The result left Derby disappointed after manager John Eustace acknowledged it was a week when his side looked "very leggy," despite collecting seven points from three matches and falling agonizingly short of claiming nine points and the coveted playoff berth.
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