Sky Bet Championship: Derby manager Steve McClaren rues missed opportunity
Sunday 1 March 2015 17:06, UK
Steve McClaren admitted Derby missed an opportunity to take a big step towards the Premier League after a "bad day at the office" in their defeat to Fulham.
The Rams could have moved five points clear at the top of the Championship but crashed 2-0 at Craven Cottage thanks to goals from Nikolay Bodurov and Cauley Woodrow.
"It's a long season and we have been playing at a high level for the majority of it, that is why we are where we are," said County boss McClaren.
"But we came up against a Fulham team who looked at their league position and knew they needed a result. What were they, fifth from bottom, with the quality they have?
"They are a Premier League side - just come down - with Premier League players. They defended for their lives and credit to them. They deserved to win and we would not have scored if played until Tuesday.
"We'll have one or two more bad days at the office, I can guarantee that, but the key thing is we just shake it off and go again.
"There will be lots of twists and turns yet. We've missed an opportunity today but there will be others and we have to make sure we take them."
Fulham had already gone close through Ross McCormack, Ryan Tunnicliffe and Woodrow before they made the breakthrough in the 31st minute.
Bryan Ruiz skipped past Tom Ince on the left-hand side of the Derby area and when the Costa Rica forward's shot was blocked by Cyrus Christie, the ball looped up towards Bodurov on the corner of the six-yard box.
The Bulgarian centre-half, not renowned for his finishing, had only stayed upfield following a corner but he expertly guided the ball over Lee Grant with the outside of his right boot for his first goal since joining Fulham last summer.
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And on the stroke of half-time Woodrow doubled Fulham's lead when he headed in McCormack's inviting cross.
It took an hour for lacklustre Derby to have a shot on target and Ince's deflected effort barely troubled Marcus Bettinelli, although the Fulham keeper did get down well to block a Jeff Hendrick header at the far post.
But it was Fulham who came closest to scoring again with McCormack twice denied by last-ditch blocks before sub Moussa Dembele crashed a shot against the crossbar.
Manager Kit Symons said: "It's always nice to get a win, especially against the team at the top of the table, and the manner in which we got it.
"It's only three points but it's a big three points given who it was against and how we did it.
"We scored two goals, we could have scored more and we kept a clean sheet, so it's very pleasing."
