AFTER bringing in 13 new players and dropping down from the Premier League, Derby can still not win a game after last night’s limp effort at Ashton Gate. Nicky Maynard scored his first goal since arriving at Bristol City but a mistake by Lee Johnson allowed Paul Green a 52nd-minute equaliser that saved Derby from a second successive Championship defeat.

Derby may have avoided defeat but they never looked like ending a sorry sequence of 26 league games without a win, which stretches back 11 months.

City nearly capitalised on a sluggish opening by Derby. Yet, after swapping passes with Dele Adebola, Michael McIndoe’s shot was too close and too weak to give Derby goalkeeper Roy Carroll any problems on four minutes.

Derby continued to allow City access to their penalty area and it needed a majestically-timed tackle from Martin Albrechtsen to deny Adebola a shooting opportunity from 15 yards in the ninth minute.

Jewell’s side looked in danger of being overrun when Albrechtsen made another vital intervention to deflect Johnson’s low shot wide moments later. But, for the second game in a week, City saw one of their defenders carried off on a stretcher early on.

The loss of centre-back Jamie McCombe in the 15th minute caused Brian Wilson to come on at right-back and Bradly Orr to move across as cover. But the loss of McCombe did not seem to cause City any problems as eight minutes later they were ahead. Gavin Williams picked out Wilson with a clever through-ball and the substitute then squared invitingly into the path of Maynard, who was left to tap in from a couple of yards for his first goal since a record £2.25m transfer from Crewe this summer. City maintained the pressure until half-time, Carroll sharply diving to block Orr’s venomous shot after Williams dropped a 30-yard volley over the bar moments earlier on the half-hour.

Kris Commons provided Derby’s best moments but his teammate Nathan Ellinton contrived to shoot 15 yards wide from the edge of the area on 50 minutes. Derby were hardly making a case that they justified an equaliser but they were gifted one on 52 minutes when Johnson presented the ball straight to Green’s feet 12 yards out and the busy midfielder gratefully prodded in the equaliser past Chris Weale.

Weale, who got a hand to Green’s equaliser, suddenly found himself under more threat from a resurgent Derby midfield and attack.

Ellington came close to the target when he cut inside before unleashing a fierce shot from the edge of the area that hit the side-netting.

Having scored two late goals already this season, Steve Brooker was sent on for the last quarter as City attempted to regain control but he failed to find the target.

Star man:Roy Carroll (Derby)

BRISTOL CITY:Weale 7, Orr 7, McCombe 6 (Wilson 15min, 7), Carey 6, McAllister 6, Williams 7 (Sproule 74min), Skuse 6, Johnson 7, McIndoe 7, Adebola 6 (Brooker 63min), Maynard 6

DERBY COUNTY:Carroll 8, Mears 6, Albrechtsen 7, Davis 6, McEveley 6, Pereplotkins 6 (Davies ht, 6), Green 7, Savage 6, Commons 7, Hulse 6, Ellington 6 (Villa 83min) Booked: Green]

Referee:S Attwell Attendance:16,389