"Disgusting" - Derby County fans fume at Lewis O'Brien, Wrexham AFC flashpoint | OneFootball

Lewis O'Brien avoided a red card before giving Wrexham the lead in their 1-1 draw with Derby County.

Derby County earned a point away to Wrexham in one of three early kick-offs on Saturday to move to six points from their first seven games.

However, it was a first half incident involving the eventual goalscorer for the Red Dragons, Lewis O’Brien, that has most supporters talking after the game.

The midfielder dove in on Ebou Adams in the eighth minute at the Racecourse Ground, making contact just below the knee with his studs.

O’Brien instead received a yellow card for the tackle, and eventually gave Wrexham the lead on the hour.

Ben Brereton Diaz’s wonderful long-range effort in the 72nd minute clawed John Eustace’s team back into the game, making the score 1-1, but neither side were able to find a goal to take all three points.

Derby County fans fume at Lewis O’Brien tackle against Wrexham

Derby supporters have given their say on the incident involving O’Brien, criticising the decision to only award him a yellow card.

One outraged Derby County took to X to share footage of O'Brien's challenge, with plenty of angry Rams supporters replying to the post sharing in their frustrations.

Many have posted on social media their reaction to the incident, with some claiming it was a shocking tackle.

"Ref is 5 yards away but because it was early, bottled the decision but what do we expect? The standard of officiating across the game is dire." one fan wrote.

While others are concerned that a challenge of that nature could threaten the offended player’s career, even if Adams was okay to continue in this particular instance.

"That’s a potentially career-ending tackle. Disgusting," said another furious Derby supporter.

Derby supporters made clear their response to the challenge, with a consensus forming that it was worth a red card, despite the decision to only give a yellow.

"Horrific challenge," summarised another Rams fan.

"And now he’s scored shouldn’t be on the pitch," another commented, understandably upset over the double-whammy of O'Brien giving Wrexham the lead in the game.

While O’Brien did ultimately remain on the pitch, the Rams still had 82 minutes following the incident to secure all three points.

They were unable to do so, with the game finishing 1-1, with both goals coming in the second half.

The pressure is beginning to mount on Eustace, with his side having won only once from their opening seven fixtures, now sitting in the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, Wrexham will be hoping to remain outside of the bottom three, even if their wait for a home victory goes on.

Next up for Derby is a home clash against Charlton Athletic on 30 September in an 8pm kick-off.

Mike Dean reviews Lewis O’Brien flashpoint against Derby County

Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison has branded the tackle as a “disgusting challenge” by O’Brien, claiming a red card should have been issued instead.

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean was also on hand to give his verdict on the incident.

He also criticised the Wrexham player, suggesting a sending off was the right punishment for the lunge.

“I cringed when I saw it,” said Dean on Sky Sports.

“When you see it, it’s an awful, awful challenge. It’s above his ankle, he’s gone in with studs, referee is probably too close to it but it’s got to be picked up as a red card.

“It’s a horrible challenge.”

O’Brien went on to give Wrexham the lead in the 59th minute, with the Red Dragons seeking a first home win in the Championship this season.

However, Brereton Diaz was able to level with a long-range effort, meaning Phil Parkinson’s side will have to wait even further for three points at the Racecourse Ground.

The result means that the Welsh outfit have earned eight points from their opening seven fixtures, leaving them two points ahead of their opponents on Saturday.