Derby boss John Eustace punches the air during their game against Bolton Press Association

John Eustace has been in charge of Derby since February 2025

Andrew Aloia
BBC Sport East Midlands at Pride Park

John Eustace's hopes of keeping his job at Derby County got a huge boost as the Rams produced a scintillating second-half fightback to beat Bolton Wanderers and end a 10-game winless run.

There was disquiet before Ruben Rodrigues put the visitors ahead with his cool finish late in the first half, and boos from the Rams faithful eventually greeted the half-time whistle.

But two goals in the first four minutes of the second half from Ryan Nyambe and Jack Robinson transformed the atmosphere and quite possibly Eustace's fate.

Rams goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom went on to make a number of crucial saves to keep the hosts ahead before Rhian Brewster made sure of just their second Championship win of the season in stoppage time with a fierce finish.

Eustace overhauled his side for what felt like a must win game for the head coach, making six changes from the side that was beaten 4-0 at home by Norwich on Tuesday.

Former Brighton centre-back Shane Duffy was among them as he made his Rams debut a week after joining the club.

And while the presence of the 34-year-old was a welcome one for a leaky defence that has been decimated by injury, the backline repeatedly failed to deal with the energetic presence of Gaizka Larrazabal on the right in the first half.

A superb bit of control and pulled-back pass from the Spaniard should have set Xavier Simons up for an early opener, but the midfielder wastefully blasted his attempt from 15 yards over the bar.

It was after Zetterstrom kept a Chris Forino header out at the back post that Larrazabal again had the Rams reeling - this time his incisive cut-back pass was slotted home first time by Rodrigues.

While the setback prompted half-time jeers, they were replaced by wild celebrations immediately after the interval as Nyambe popped up at the back post to tap home his first ever goal - ending a 312-game wait for the 28-year-old.

The leveller came after excellent work from Carlton Morris and an audacious attempted flicked finish from Mo Fuseini, that eventually rolled into Nyambe's path.

Morris went on to tee up a second within minutes, with his header across goal glanced home by defender Robinson.

Zetterstrom went on to make two huge saves to ensure the Rams kept that lead, denying Larrazabal and Sam Dalby. Sandwiched between those stops was an equally impressive bit of goalkeeping from Jack Bonham at the other end as he denied Fuseini from getting Derby's third in the 54th minute.

It was not until the 94th minute that the Rams made it 3-1, with Brewster pinching the ball from Larrazabal before racing away to score.

Eustace gets reaction

Derby County players celebrate scoringShutterstock

The victory was Derby's first at Pride Park this season

When Eustace was being courted for the Rams job while still at the helm at Blackburn Rovers in early 2025, he hid himself away in one of the executive suites in the West Stand so he could be reminded of the atmosphere inside Pride Park after relishing its embrace as a Derby player.

The once combative midfielder spent much of the next 18 months adding to his reputation as a passionate figure for supporters to rally around, having first guided them to Championship safety from a seemingly impossible situation before then taking them to the brink of the play-offs in his first full season in charge last term.

Eustace was stood in the technical area on the side of the pitch with nowhere to hide as jeers echoed around Pride Park at the break as another laboured first-half showing had them hurtling towards another night of frustration.

At that stage the half-time break looked as if it might be the 46-year-old's last chance to get a reaction from his players - and that's exactly what it did.

Morris, who was so influential in the Rams' push for a top-six finish last season, was instrumental in orchestrating the turnaround as he played a decisive role in both Nyambe and Robinson's goals.

Zetterstrom also put in a performance equal to those he produced last season, which earned him a World Cup place with Sweden in the summer.

While the win is not enough to move Derby out of the relegation places, it at least feels like it has lifted the gloom at the Rams.

'Relief' for Derby and 'hurt' for Bolton - reaction

John Eustace post-Bolton Wanderers (H)

Derby County head coach John Eustace told BBC Radio Derby:

"I'm very proud. Going 1-0 down just before half-time and going in, it could have been very different.

"But the group stuck together and came out in the second half and showed fighting spirit and togetherness.

"It shows how together the group are, it's been a really difficult start to the season for lots of different reasons and today we had a bit of luck, Jacob has pulled off a couple of fantastic saves and we were clinical at the other end. I'm just pleased for the players, they deserved that.

"It's a bit of relief as well, we have a really tight knit group in there. I've had that for the past 18 months with the group and we have new faces, people coming in to prove themselves now, and the feeling around the training ground has been of disappointment but also very much of togetherness.

"Tonight was a win for the whole club, but there is so much hard work ahead."

Schumacher: 'It was self destruct again'

Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher told BBC Sport:

"If you are the home team and the away team has taken control of the first 45 minutes, like we did and got ourselves in front and had big chances, you are obviously going to go into your dressing room to say we need a reaction now. That happens every week up and down the country.

"But what really gives them a lifeline is if you switch off in the first minute and you don't track a runner and somebody taps the ball in from a yard out.

"As soon as that goal goes in it gives the crowd a huge lift because everyone in the crowd had been stood there at half-time thinking this could be another one. But unfortunately it wasn't for us.

"It kills us because that is two games we have thrown away, we did it against Bristol City on Saturday when we were well the better team and got beat. And tonight for large parts, 80-odd minutes we were the dominant team and got beat. It hurts and it stings, but that's football and we have to get on with it."

Player of the match

J. Widell Zetterström
8.29
1 J. Widell Zetterström
8.29
24 R. Nyambe
8.01
14 J. Robinson
7.88
25 S. Duffy
7.46
10 R. Brewster
7.39
4 D. Ozoh
7.27
8 B. Clark
7.14
16 M. Fuseini
7.11
9 C. Morris
6.94
28 D. Sanderson
6.85
20 A. Mowatt
6.27
27 L. Travis
6.25
15 L. Salvesen
5.98
29 O. Fraulo
5.94
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