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Derby end six-game winless run with crushing victory

Staff WritersAAP
Marcus Harness (l) made a winning return to Portsmouth with new club Derby. (AP PHOTO)
Camera IconMarcus Harness (l) made a winning return to Portsmouth with new club Derby. (AP PHOTO) Credit: AAP

Derby have ended a six-game winless run in style with a 4-0 Championship victory over Portsmouth at Pride Park.

Kane Wilson, Eiran Cashin and Ebou Adams all struck before half-time as the Rams ran rampant in the opening period.

The visitors enjoyed plenty of possession but never threatened to get back into the contest and the result was put beyond doubt with Marlon Pack's own goal midway through the second half.

Paul Warne made four changes from the midweek stalemate at Burnley as Nat Phillips, Callum Elder, Joe Ward and Dajaune Brown made way for Wilson, Craig Forsyth, Ben Osborn and Marcus Harness - who returned to the starting XI to face the club he made over 100 appearances for between 2019-2022.

Portsmouth made three changes from their draw against Norwich as Andre Dozzell and Callum Lang returned from suspension and Tom McIntyre replaced Regan Poole at centre-back.

Both teams played out goalless draws in midweek but it took Derby only eight minutes to open the scoring.

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John Mousinho said Pompey "got everything wrong."

"It's difficult to figure out where that came from - we weren't expecting it. Going into the game I felt pretty confident," said Mousinho.

"We'll have to unpick it over the weekend and go again. A bit of a strange one.

"It wasn't very good, to say the least. We got exactly what we deserved and maybe got off slightly light.

"The start was really poor, we invited too much pressure. We never really settled into the game."

Derby spurned several opportunities to inflict further damage as the visitors failed to muster a shot on target.

Manager Paul Warne said: "I think we've played better in other home games, weirdly, but goals change games and I thought we started really well - I was pleased with that.

"We scored and I've always been critical of our play in the final third that we don't pick the right pass but tonight we did."

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