Had Gorka Pintado not scored in the dying moments at the Liberty Stadium four weeks ago The Rams would have been coming into this game on the back of a four game unbeaten run.
Luckily for Nigel Clough's Derby, the old adage of 'what goes around, comes around' proved true with DJ Campbell snatching a deserved late equaliser on Saturday to rescue a point against Roberto Di Matteo's high-flying West Bromwich Albion.
North End, on the other hand, go into this game on the back of a run of six games without a win and will be champing at the bit to get back into the goalscoring groove that epitomised their start to the season.
Games against Derby County haven't been short of goals in recent history with only one goalless draw in the 22 matches between the clubs, stretching back to 1969/70. PNE fans will remember the occasion of that scoreless game well, because it secured the Club's place in the 2005 Play-Off final.
Last season the corresponding fixture resulted in a routine 2-0 win for North End on Boxing Day however the clash at Pride Park just over a year to the day was an entirely different affair with the two teams sharing four goals in the first half.
The East Midlanders' first win last season came at North End and should they achieve that they will break their away day hoodoo for this campaign having not got a single win away from Pride Park. Draws at Blackpool and Leicester have been their only successes on the road so North End should be aware of a confident and determined team.
The Gaffer
"It's always better playing at home than away from home, we realise that our home form in the past has been very good, it's great to be back and it's been a while since we've won so hopefully we will be able to get two good results in the next games at
Deepdale."
Alan Irvine tells PNE Player that it'll be good to experience home comforts again
The Opposition
Injuries have played a major part in Derby's season so far with their side decimated by injuries to new loanees like James Vaughan and most recently £900,000 summer signing Shaun Barker.
According to the Derby Telegraph the former Blackpool defender had a scan in early October which revealed that he had a tear in a thigh muscle and was expected to be out for between four and six weeks but, the 27-year-old felt fit enough to continue playing.
Manager Nigel Clough said: "It is the same injury and he made it worse in our previous home game against Reading, he had it scanned a few weeks ago and the tear in the muscle was a certain size but when he had it scanned again after the Reading game, the tear had got worse.
And the bad news regarding Barker has been compounded by injuries to talented trio Miles Addison, Giles Barnes and James Vaughan. Barnes is a long-term absentee but Addison and Vaughan are close to a return.
"Miles trained on Wednesday fine until the last few minutes. We did a few sprints and it left him struggling on Thursday and Friday," said Clough.
"He did not train on Friday. He did a bit Saturday morning and said he was OK but in that situation we have to put the fitter players out, even if meant moving Jay McEveley in from left back to centre back.
The Opposition Gaffer
"Jay did a sterling job in there for us. He became a father last week for the first time and I think his performance against West Brom capped a very good week for him.
"I thought the lads who came back in, Dean Moxey and Lee Croft, did well and it was good to get Lee Hendrie on the pitch because he has been working hard in training and has been unlucky with the timing of his injuries."
Manager Nigel Clough sings the praises of former PNE loanee Jay McEveley in the Derby Telegraph after a sterling performance at centre back against West Brom
The Opposition Player
"I didn't see how West Brom were going to score for a lot of the game and yet it looked as though they were going to win, but we never let go. We got the equaliser in the last minute and that was a great feeling but we still think we deserved all three points. There's definitely a feeling of frustration.
"Their equaliser was a bit of bad luck for us I suppose, I don't know how the linesman did not see the handball, when even the West Brom fans behind the goal probably saw it."
Derby's Dean Moxey tells the Derby Telegraph his teammates 'never let go' in games
Head-to-head
PNE's all-time record against Derby County - W49 D19 L37
PNE's all-time league record against Derby County - W43 D16 L35
Last Match
PNE 2 Derby County 0
St.Ledger 30, Parkin 68
Coca-Cola Championship
26th December 2008
Deepdale
PNEBetting.com
PNE 4/5 Draw 5/2 Derby County 7/2
Selected Bet - Michael Tonge to score first in a 2-0 win for PNE - 75/1
Go to pnebetting.com where 30 markets on the big game are now open
PNE Player
Brian O'Neil joins us for the game from 7pm for coverage online and across the world on PNE Player. Fans tuning in from the PR1 postcode area can listen on 106.5FM Central Radio and anyone outside this area can listen in on PNE Player. If you haven't subscribed you can do so now and get a free home shirt. Yes, subscribe to PNE Player and get a free home shirt. Gift subscriptions can be bought for £19.99 for access until August. Don't delay, you have until December 17th to take advantage of this superb offer. More details on the gift subscription at
www.pne.com/player and on the shirt offer here.
Any other business?
The Derby County game is Armed Forces night and there will be special entertainment before the game and at half-time; those in the forces can get free tickets to the game by going to the ticket office during the day. The game is also one half of another incredible PNE offer with fans able to buy a ticket for the Derby game and get onto Plymouth for free! This works out at two games for twenty pounds so make sure you get down to the ticket office to get your tickets.
