Derby cruise against Owls

Jewell enjoys meeting with former club

Last updated: 15th November 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Derby cruise against Owls

Commons: First home goal

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Paul Jewell enjoyed his meeting with former club Sheffield Wednesday as his Derby side ran out comfortable winners.

Kris Commons scored his first Pride Park goal following his summer switch from Nottingham Forest to open the scoring.

Miles Addison then bagged his first senior goal for the club before Jordan Stewart opened his account for Jewell's side.

Jewell's side kept a clean sheet at Pride Park for the first time since a goalless draw against Sunderland in the Premier League on 1st March as Derby goalkeeper Roy Carroll was a mere observer for much of the game.

Wednesday have conceded 25 away goals in the league this season and it was easy to see why the Owls have won just three times on the road in 2008.

Midfielders Nacer Barazite and Addison were restored to Derby's starting line-up after being ruled out of the midweek Carling Cup victory against Leeds.

On-loan Arsenal teenager Barazite was ineligible while Addison missed the fourth-round tie serving a one-match ban.

Rob Hulse, a substitute against his former club in the cup, was the third change made by Rams boss Jewell. He replaced Nathan Ellington who had to settle for a place on the bench despite his goal against Leeds.

Akpo Sodje started a game for the first time since the opening day of the season as Wednesday manager Brian Laws made two changes.

Sodje came in at the expense of fellow forward Etienne Esajas while Tony McMahon replaced on-loan Stoke defender Lewis Buxton.

Thumped

Commons beat Owls goalkeeper Lee Grant with a low shot from 12 yards after 31 minutes. The Scotland international's only other goal for Derby came in a 3-2 defeat at Blackpool last month.

Wednesday were largely restricted to long-range efforts with Sodje, Sean McAllister and Tommy Spurr all missing the target.

That was until Laws' side carved out an opportunity for Marcus Tudgay, but the former Derby striker headed straight at Carroll from six yards out.

The Owls continued their policy of shooting on sight with Sodje's low drive from the left-hand side of the area early in the second half, but he fired wide once more.

Addison continued his rise to prominence when he gave the hosts a two-goal cushion in the 52nd minute, sweeping home Commons' cross with his left foot.

The 19-year-old academy product will feel the moment was overdue after it was he who infamously had two late headed goals disallowed by controversial referee Stuart Attwell in the East Midlands derby against Forest earlier this month.

Stewart, a free summer signing from Watford, put the game beyond Wednesday with a memorable goal in the 67th minute.

The defender thumped an angled shot into the top corner with his left foot from 25 yards after being teed up by Paul Green.

It would have been worse for the Owls had Grant not produced two wonderful saves to thwart substitute Ellington and Barazite in the last 10 minutes.