Derby County 1, Leeds United 0

LEEDS head coach Garry Monk was frustrated by his side's failure take anything from their Championship game at Derby.

Substitute Johnny Russell scored the only goal of the game to give Steve McClaren a winning start to his second spell as Rams manager.

Yet Leeds hit the woodwork twice and could easily have ruined the former England boss's return.

"We probably deserved something from the game but it's one of those where you probably can't complain that you didn't," said Monk.

"We didn't do enough of the good things that we have been doing recently to really carve them open or create clear opportunities.

"We hit the woodwork a couple of times and were probably the wrong side of those margins – but the pleasing thing for me is we are still very competitive in games and were fighting for the result right up to the very end.

"I said to the players at half-time that we needed to put our game on the pitch a little bit better and we came out and we started to do that. Then we conceded a poor goal, from our point of view, which put us on the back foot.

"We had a go in the last 25 minutes and had a couple of chances but, overall, I think we didn't do enough of the things we have done really well in recent games with the ball to give ourselves the best chance of getting something."

Derby scored from a corner in the 56th minute when Leeds could only get the ball away to the edge of the area and Russell raced in to drive a low shot past keeper Rob Green.

Until that stage, there had been little in the game and Leeds should have been in front after skipper Kyle Bartley thumped a header against the bar in first-half stoppage time.

Leeds pressed hard in the closing stages and almost equalised in the fifth minute of added time but substitute Marcus Antonsson's shot came back off a post.

McClaren said: "I think you could see the nervousness of the players – but amongst that nervousness, the players showed fight, the attitude was great and we got some great blocks in at the end.

"We worked our socks off and we needed that second goal and we have to learn that. The last ten minutes was always going to be nervous but we rode our luck and got through it and it was a big three points.

"I saw certain aspects I like and potential in the team but there is a lot of work and a long way to go. But if the players have that attitude and fight, I have no complaints.

"That's what we said at the beginning, not just at half-time. What do the supporters want to see? They want to see your fight, attitude, tackles and I think the players did that."