Derby County kicked off 2026 in dramatic fashion at Pride Park, securing a crucial 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough and bringing a much-needed end to their own three-game winless run. On a chilly New Year’s Day afternoon, the Rams rode their luck early but ultimately found their hero in Bobby Clark, whose first English league goal proved the difference in a contest packed with tension, missed opportunities, and a fair share of grit.
Both sides entered the match desperate to reverse recent fortunes. Derby, still licking their wounds from a defeat to Leicester City just days earlier, faced a Middlesbrough squad that had slipped from automatic promotion contention after failing to win any of their previous three matches. The stakes were clear: for Derby, a shot at closing the gap to the play-off places; for Boro, a chance to keep pace with Championship leaders Coventry City.
Team news ahead of kickoff provided plenty of talking points. Derby head coach John Eustace welcomed back Joe Ward from suspension, injecting experience into a side hampered by injuries. The Rams were still without key contributors: Max Johnston (hamstring), David Ozoh (recent setback), and prolific striker Carlton Morris, who, after notching 10 goals in just 16 league appearances, continued his recovery from a serious ankle injury sustained in November. Bobby Clark, on loan from Red Bull Salzburg, was a pre-match doubt after limping off against Leicester, but was ultimately fit to start—a decision that would prove fateful.
Middlesbrough, managed by Kim Hellberg, arrived with defensive woes of their own. Dael Fry (ankle), George Edmundson (hamstring), and Alfie Jones (foot) were all sidelined, stretching Boro’s back line to its limits. In midfield, Riley McGree remained absent, and forward David Strelec faced a late fitness test. The predicted lineups saw Derby line up with Zetterstrom in goal, a back three of Langas, Sanderson, and Clarke, with Ward, Thompson, Adams, and Elder across midfield. Up front, Brereton Diaz, Agyemang, and Brewster were tasked with breaking Boro’s resistance. For the visitors, Brynn started in goal behind Brittain, Ayling, Targett, and Bangura, while Morris, Browne, Whittaker, Hackney, Burgzorg, and Conway rounded out a side eager to rediscover its attacking bite.
The first half unfolded with Middlesbrough firmly on the front foot. Boro carved out a series of gilt-edged chances, only to be repeatedly denied by Derby’s Swedish shot-stopper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom. The keeper produced sprawling saves to thwart Hayden Hackney and Tommy Conway, while Delano Burgzorg also saw his efforts repelled. Conway, in particular, found himself frustrated—first missing a golden opportunity from a Brittain cross, then seeing a side-footed volley expertly saved.
Derby’s attacking moments were few and far between before the break. Their best chance came in the dying moments of the half, when Joe Ward’s curling free-kick forced Sol Brynn into a sharp save at his near post. The Rams were fortunate to reach halftime with the scores level, as the home crowd’s anxiety grew with each Boro incursion.
After the interval, the pattern initially continued. Zetterstrom was called into action again, this time denying Burgzorg with another crucial stop. But Derby, buoyed by their keeper’s heroics, began to find their feet. Patrick Agyemang, leading the line in the absence of Morris, nearly broke the deadlock, only for Brynn to produce the save of the afternoon from a tight angle.
Then, in the 64th minute, came the breakthrough. Nathaniel Elder surged forward and fired a ball into the box, where Lars-Jorgen Salvesen and Bobby Clark converged. Clark reacted quickest, stealing the ball off his teammate’s toes and, with remarkable composure, slamming a low finish past Brynn from 12 yards out. The goal—Clark’s first in English league football—sent the Pride Park faithful into raptures and gave Derby the slender advantage they so desperately craved.
Middlesbrough, stunned by the setback, pushed forward in search of an equalizer. Their cause was not helped when Callum Brittain, who had been a lively presence down the right, limped off injured with 15 minutes remaining. Boro’s attacking efforts grew increasingly frantic, but Derby’s defense, marshaled by the resolute Clarke and Sanderson, stood firm. The Rams’ willingness to put bodies on the line, coupled with Zetterstrom’s assured handling, saw them through a nervy closing period.
At the final whistle, Derby celebrated a hard-earned victory—only their second in eight games—which moved them within five points of the play-off places. For Middlesbrough, the defeat marked a fourth consecutive game without a goal and saw them slip to third in the table, now nine points adrift of leaders Coventry City.
After the match, John Eustace was quick to praise his side’s character. "We started slow and the opposition had two or three really good chances and we rode our luck, but as the game went on we grew into it and adapted a couple of things," he told BBC Radio Derby. "In the second half I felt a lot more comfortable with our shape. We knew we would get a couple of opportunities and I'm delighted to end up winning 1-0. Where we lack with a little bit of quality, we make up with determination, grit and heart. I know that group of players will sweat blood for these fans and I think they did that today. They really dug in at difficult moments against a really top team."
Kim Hellberg, meanwhile, cut a frustrated figure as he addressed Middlesbrough’s ongoing struggles. "It was unbelievable winning the first four games, having that start. But then getting one point from the next four and not scoring, creating a lot of chances, playing a lot of good football and goalkeepers being the man of the matches almost every game, that hurts," he told BBC Radio Tees. "Looking at the table, we are back to the same position when we started eight games ago and that hurts also. The result today hurt. Look at the bigger picture over those four games and we scored no goals and we created tons of opportunities to score. At the moment we are not good enough at scoring and we have to be honest with that. But we cannot just say 'it's not going our way'. It's not, but we have to find a way and get better at those things. I go into the locker room and see devastated players. They know it too, they put this on their shoulders. I need to find a way to help them better, that is my job and that's my aim."
For Derby, the win injects new hope into their campaign and offers a platform for a renewed push toward the play-offs. For Boro, the result is a sobering reminder that promotion is never guaranteed, and that even the most promising runs can unravel quickly. As the Championship season rolls on, both teams will look to regroup—Derby with newfound momentum, Middlesbrough with questions to answer and ground to make up.
