Frank Lampard made a winning start to life as Derby County manager in dramatic fashion as Tom Lawrence sealed a 2-1 win at Reading in stoppage-time.
The visitors performed fitfully for the first hour at the Madejski Stadium and fell behind to Jon Dadi Bodvarsson’s goal seven minutes into the second half.
On-loan Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount – a goalscoring midfielder in Lampard’s image – levelled matters with the help of an error from Vito Mannone in the 60th minute before Lawrence had the final word in the Championship opener.
Bodvarsson broke free of a nervy Derby defence in the sixth minute but shot too close to goalkeeper Scott Carson.
That set the tone for a half where County hogged possession without purpose in between their regular errors, while Reading’s lack of cutting edge in attack meant they went unpunished.
Bodvarsson found the target shortly afterwards, powering Modou Barrow’s excellent left-wing cross home at the back post after Reading sliced through their opponents far too easily.
A deserved advantage lasted little more than seven minutes when Mannone botched his attempt to push Mount’s speculative strike to safety.
Mannone did much to atone for his error in the 83rd minute when he made up ground to brilliantly prevent Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson clattering home from close range, but Lawrence produced a wonderfully deft headed finish from Mason Bennett’s searching 94th-minute centre.
Reading manager Paul Clement told BBC Sport: “Clearly if you lose the game with the last touch, it’s a real tough one to take. I thought we did enough to win the game.
“The goal was a fantastic cross and header, but I think the error there is down to fatigue, the high temperature and the fresh legs of their right-winger against our left-back, who is struggling at that point.
“We did enough early in the game and we were on top in the first half. We forced them to change their style in the second half and the spaces opened up as players tired.
“It’s a harsh result and it’s a big lesson for us already so early in the season.
For Frank Lampard that was a bit more “smash and grab” for a first game as a manager.
There was little between the two sides really and Derby brought their own problems on themselves in the first half.
Frank brought them in and settled them down at half-time, changed the game plan, got them to move the ball forward quicker and it was a different Derby side in the closing stages.
Derby’s players showed great character after going behind and I think they got stronger and stronger as the game went on. The youth in the side that Lampard has brought in came to the fore – Mason Mount, Tom Lawrence and Harry Wilson grew into the game.
The momentum that’s come with Frank’s arrival has given the city of Derby a lift, everybody’s been buzzing since he walked through the door. They’ve managed to nick a win in the first game and hopefully that bodes well.
There are defining moments for a team during a season and I think Derby, and Frank as a manager, will get a lot out of this first result and the way it came in such dramatic circumstances.