Football
Derby 1-0 Coventry City

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ANDY Thorn is hoping to improve his squad before this weekend's clash with Middlesborough after the Sky Blues slipped to their sixth successive away defeat in the Championship at Derby County.

A second-half strike from Callum Ball gave the Rams all three points at Pride Park on Saturday (January 14).

It was a tough result for the visitors to take after dominating throughout the opening period and coming close on numerous occasions, but Thorn is confident that new arrivals will help bolster his squad.

"I have a good honest squad who rarely let me down and are giving their all to gt out of the bottom three but we need to get a few in to join them," said Thorn.

"They need a bit of help and if we can do that then mix it with the effort I am getting from the lads, and we have a great chance of staying in the division.

"We didn't take our chances and that is disappointing as we deserved to get something out of the game. We need to take what we can in the future as it is something which is costing us at the moment.

"It is disappointing that we lost as I thought it would be a good day to catch up with a few of the others. They had tough games and we could have closed the gap but it wasn't to be."

Derby were looking to record their fourth league win on the bounce but the Sky Blues did all they could to deny them during a first half in which the visitors seemed to dominate possession.

Captain Sammy Clingan was welcomed back into the side along with James McPake and Clive Platt, but it was the in-form Gary McSheffrey who almost broke the deadlock early on, forcing Derby keeper Frank Fielding into a superb save.

The home side rarely looked a threat going forward but almost went ahead on the half-hour mark when Platt was beaten in the air by Shaun Barker and Theo Robinson got a shot away but his deflected shot was tipped over the bar by Joe Murphy.

Carl Baker hit the side netting with a header after some good work down the right by Cyrus Christie as the teams went in level at the interval.

Nigel Clough must have said a few harsh words during his half time team talk because his Derby side came out rejuvenated.

Winger Jamie Ward could only look on as his deflected shot from just outside the area sailed just over the bar before Gary Deegan unleashed a fierce drive which narrowly missed the top corner.

Derby upped the tempo again with 25 minutes to go as they went in search of the winning goal, but it was McSheffrey who almost headed the Sky Blues into the lead.

Clingan delivered a telling ball into the area which was glanced towards goal by McSheffrey but his effort was again superbly saved by Fielding.

And just moments later Derby made Thorn's side pay when Paul Green cut the ball back for Ball who beat Murphy with a low shot which crept into the corner.

Academy graduate Christie almost found an equaliser in the final minutes but he dragged a curling effort on his weaker foot just wide.

The result still leaves the Sky Blues lying seven points adrift from safety and they host Middlesbrough this weekend

Attendance: 24,126 (965 away)

Player ratings: Murphy 6, Keogh 7, Christie 7, Cranie 6, McPake 6, Thomas 6, Baker 5, McSheffrey 7, Deegan 6, Clingan 5, Platt 7

Subs not used – Dunn, Bell, Bigirimana