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Derby County 1-1 Wrexham: Rathbone strikes late to earn a point for the Red Dragons at Pride Park

  /  autty

Derby are still without a home win after Ollie Rathbone scored late on to earn Wrexham a 1-1 draw at Pride Park.

The Rams were on course for victory through Sam Szmodics' superb early strike only for the Welsh side to rescue a point two minutes from the end.

Both teams created chances in an open game, but the finishing lacked the quality Szmodics showed when he beat Anthony Patterson with an unstoppable shot.

It looked like it was going to be a frustrating afternoon for Wrexham until Kieffer Moore set up Rathbone for a close-range finish to leave Derby still waiting for that elusive home victory.

Derby had started positively and deservedly went ahead in the ninth minute following a clinical counter-attack.

Mo Fuseini sprinted from deep inside his own half to release Szmodics, who cut inside before unleashing a rising drive past Patterson.

The Dragons responded through Jacques Ekomie, who ran into the Derby box and fired in a low shot which Josh Vickers did well to palm away.

Vickers rescued Derby again when Callum O'Hare's shot took a deflection, forcing the goalkeeper into a reflex save and Issa Kabore put the rebound into the side-netting.

Szmodics was close to a second in the 35th minute when he pounced on a loose ball and curled a shot just wide of Patterson's left post.

The first half ended with the visitors catching the Rams on the break, but O'Hare's shot was deflected over for a corner which came to nothing.

Fuseini's pace had caused problems from the start and the winger made another run at the Wrexham defence in the 58th minute, but his shot was straight at Patterson.

The away side had got into good positions without making them count and Danny Imray wasted another chance with an overhit cross before Carlton Morris fired over at the other end.

Wrexham had a good effort to level in the 75th minute when O'Hare found space, but blazed over from 12 yards.

Derby almost made them pay with Bobby Clark getting in on the Wrexham right and hitting a low shot which was deflected narrowly wide.

After the home survived a scramble inside the six-yard box, Ekomie lashed a shot over and they were heading for defeat until Rathbone came to the rescue in the 88th minute.

The Rams had defended strongly throughout but when Imray crossed from the right, Moore rose to head the ball down and Rathbone nipped in to beat Vickers.