Joe Ledley scores on his debut but a late goal from Ollie Watkins earns the home side a point

Joe Ledley needed just 16 minutes to make his mark in a Derby County shirt but Ollie Watkins earned Brentford a much-needed and deserved point at the death. Released by Crystal Palace when his contract expired at the end of last season, Ledley took plenty of time to weigh up his next career move amid offers from Turkey and China. Deadline day came and went without the Welshman finding a club but eventually Derby signed the midfielder as a free agent last Wednesday. And what an impression he made on debut here. When Sam Winnall cushioned a left-side cross in his direction, Ledley guided home a header from eight yards for his first goal in a year. But it wasn’t sufficient to earn Derby all three points as Brentford finally made their 80 per cent of possession pay with just five minutes left on the clock. Watkins had been one of their more lively players and he slid in to poke home Florian Jozefzoon’s ball in from the left in the nick of time and assuage a frustrated home crowd just as it looked as though Derby’s resistance would hold firm.