Where do I start? How about with - against a team playing four tiers higher in the women’s pyramid that has won the Women’s County Cup 8 times and been finalists in 10 out of the 11 years it has taken place - and which included four first team players in the line up - The Pride put in an outstanding effort and, whilst ultimately going out of the cup, emerge from this game with tremendous credit.

This being the last Sunday before Christmas, there were several players unavailable meaning three changes in defence alone for The Pride. Unsurprisingly, there was also a tactical change from The Pride for this game.

As expected, Derby dominated possession from the kick off and the majority of play was in the Pride’s half, but the home team were working extremely hard to get behind the ball, keep a good shape and to get in challenges and blocks and, when Derby did get shots through and on target, they found Jade Howell in great form, making several excellent saves in the first half.

Howell was unable to prevent Derby taking the lead in the 19th minute, however, when Derby forward Lily Skeldon received the ball on the edge of the area, turned past a challenge and into the area to hit a rising shot over Pride’s ‘keeper (1-0)

The pattern of the game was set with Derby continuing to have possession inside the Pride Park half, apart from the odd breakaway, with the Pride defending well from the front to the back and Jade Howell proving equal to Derby’s efforts until time added on in the first half, when Derby scored two goals in quick succession.

In the 46th minute, Derby’s Mia Wheeler timed her run well and although Eliot Sayavong was in a good position, she fell under the challenge from behind, and it was immediately apparent she had banged her head on falling. The referee, however, decided that there was no foul and, despite it being an obvious head injury, allowed play to continue - despite other defenders trying to get across to cover the striker was able to finish (2-0).

There was a lengthy stoppage while Eliot received treatment but she was unable to continue and was replaced a couple of minutes later by Steph Eadon, filling in as an emergency centre back. Conceding the goal in that manner and losing Eliot felt like a double whammy for The Pride. It was compounded in the 7th minute of time added on when, from Lily Skeldon’s free kick, a well taken left foot shot from 25 yards cleared the defensive wall and Jade Howell’s outstretched hand (3-0).

After a monumental effort the timing of the goals felt harsh - but that is football. Nevertheless, it had been a terrific first half performance by The Pride. With forty five minutes still to come, an even bigger effort was going to be required in the second half and the contribution of the players coming in off the bench would be critical.

Derby continued to dominate possession, and hit the base of the post just before the hour. However, Pride were having a little more success in making forays of their own: Tash Collyer had a goal bound shot blocked after 52 minutes, and on 57 minutes Beth Jones attempted an audacious opportunistic shot from 30 yards out which had the goalkeeper backpedalling - it looked like she may have got a fingertip to it at full stretch as it went inches wide - but a goal kick was the decision.

There was, however, a moment to remember after 60 minutes. Pride Park did exceptionally well to keep the ball in the Derby defensive third after a clearance from the goalkeeper, closing down, harrying, challenging, chasing and blocking, before a defender’s attempt to clear was blocked and ricocheted off Tash Collyer’s foot, falling to Beth Jones on the edge of the area: she controlled the ball before hitting a left foot shot beyond the Derby keeper (1-3). It was no more than The Pride deserved.

Pride Park made full use of the bench during the second half to help maintain the team’s prodigious workrate with every member of the matchday squad playing an important part in a resolute team performance; despite Derby continuing to have the majority of possession, they produced considerably fewer shots than in the first half and only two on target in the second half, which is testament to a disciplined and resilient performance by The Pride.

It’s fair to say that whilst the result wasn’t really in doubt, The Pride remained in the game right to the last, with the final effort a shot from distance by Tash Collyer that drifted wide of the Derby post. The players emerge from this game with tremendous credit, having “won” the second half and providing, in all probability, more of a challenge than Derby had anticipated - considering that in previous County Cup games against Tier 7 teams the score has invariably been double digit scores to zero in Derby’s favour. Nevertheless, Derby progress to the last eight and we wish them well in the competition and for the remainder of the season.

Whilst this ends a run of 12 games unbeaten in all competitions for The Pride since the opening game of the season (the WFA Cup defeat on 7th September), it was without doubt - and by some considerable margin - the biggest challenge the team has faced, not only this season, but probably in the seven years since they last faced Derby County in the Women’s County Cup.

I wrote in my match preview on Saturday that “The Pride will be under no illusions about the magnitude of the challenge, but will want to finish the year with a creditable performance”. It was certainly that.

There’s now a well earned break for the players until the new year.