Pitchside at Pride Park – Derby County v Wrexham
Updated: Oct 11
Pitchside at Pride Park – Derby County v Wrexham - All Photographs by Mark Dunn Photography for Pro Sports Images
There’s plenty to keep a photographer occupied before a ball is kicked. The warm-up offers a chance to capture players away from the intensity of the match: a relaxed expression, a moment of concentration or an exchange between teammates. Then kick-off arrives, and the pace of the afternoon changes.
On Saturday 10 October, I was at Pride Park photographing Derby County’s Championship meeting with Wrexham. An early Derby goal and a late Wrexham equaliser provided the turning points in a game that finished 1–1. (skysports.com)
Derby made the breakthrough inside the opening ten minutes. Mo Fuseini carried the attack forward and found Szmodics, who cut inside and fired past Anthony Patterson. It gave the home side an early advantage and Wrexham something to chase. (dcfc.co.uk)
That speed of transition is one of the challenges I enjoy about photographing football. A defensive situation can become an attack in seconds. Following the ball matters, but anticipating where the next pass will go can make the difference between a clear view of the action and a frame full of backs.
Wrexham created opportunities of their own, with Josh Vickers saving from Jacques Ekomié and reacting to a deflected Callum O’Hare effort. Derby reached half-time ahead, though there was still plenty left in the contest. (dcfc.co.uk)
For me, a football gallery needs variety. The challenges and movement tell part of the story; expressions and reactions give those pictures their meaning. A player watching an opportunity slip away can produce a photograph every bit as telling as the strike itself.
Derby continued to seek a second goal after the interval. Fuseini tested Patterson, while Carlton Morris and Bobby Clark also had chances to extend the lead. With the margin still just one goal, the outcome remained open. (skysports.com)
The decisive change came in the closing minutes. Danny Imray delivered from the right, Kieffer Moore headed the ball down and Ollie Rathbone finished from close range to bring Wrexham level. Derby’s early advantage had lasted almost the entire match, but the visitors left with a point. (skysports.com)
Late goals are a reminder to stay alert with the camera. The finish is only the beginning of the photographic sequence. Celebration, disappointment and the response around the pitch can unfold together, and choosing where to look becomes part of telling the story.
My approach is to bring those elements together through my own photography: the action, the individual players and the moments around them. This selection from Pride Park accompanies an afternoon whose result remained in doubt until the closing stages.
Derby County's Sammie Szmodics celebrates scoring the first goal - Photograph by Mark Dunn 
Derby County's Sammie Szmodics celebrates scoring the first goal - Photograph by Mark Dunn 
Derby County's Sammie Szmodics celebrates scoring the first goal - Photograph by Mark Dunn 
Derby County's Sammie Szmodics celebrates scoring the first goal - Photograph by Mark Dunn 
Derby County's Ryan Hedges crossing the ball 
Derby County's Dion Sanderson 
Derby County's Alex Mowatt with the ball 
Derby County's Sammie Szmodics heading the ball towards the goal 
Derby County Head Coach John Eustace shouting to his team 
Wrexham's Lewis O'Brien attacking with the ball 
Wrexham's Ryan Longman crossing the ball 
Derby County's Lewis Travis attacking with the ball 
Derby County's Lewis Travis attacking with the ball 
Wrexham's Ryan Longman attacking with the ball 
Wrexham's Ollie Rathbone celebrates scoring the equaliser
Derby County 1–1 WrexhamPride Park Stadium · Championship · 10 October 2026 Photography: Mark Dunn Photography
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