Derby County 1-1 Nottingham Forest (EFL Championship) 26.02.21
Nottingham Forest were held to a draw at Pride Park for the third successive season against Derby County in the Championship as the Reds retain the Brian Clough Trophy for a sixth straight match but more importantly, stay above the Rams in the table as both sides aim to continue their push away from the relegation scrap.
An entertaining first half saw the home side have the better of the early chances. Shinnie struck low and hard a strike from the edge of the area, well saved to his left by Samba who pushed away from his goal and as Waghorn followed up, Ribeiro did fantastically well to block the former Leicester man’s goal bound effort, although Rams players would question the Referee with claims of a penalty as the ball seemed to hit the Portuguese man’s arm.
The resulting corner was flapped at by Samba who missed his punch under pressure, the ball falling to Knight who couldn’t prod on target, he should have done much better and put the host one-up.
That missed chance proved costly on 34 minutes as Joe Worrall flicked into Garner’s path who volleyed home from eighteen yards courtesy of some slightly sloppy goalkeeping by David Marshall who’s game was up before half time, substituted with injury and replaced by Kelle Roos.
In the second half, Colin Kazim-Richards went close on 51, firing a shot low across the face of goal and whiskers wide for a leveller, but Forest gained control of the game and looked the better of the two teams. Garner heading tamely at Roos before Freeman fired wide courtesy of a deflection.
Worrall was next to go close on 73, heading a Knockaert corner back across the face of goal only to be cleared off the line, then sloppy defending by Derby gifted the ball to substitute Lyle Taylor who played Freeman in who shot over the bar.
Those spurned chances for Forest were soon punished, with 84 minutes played the otherwise impeccable Figueiredo failed to clear his lines and Kazim-Richards hit an unstoppable volley past Samba to level the scores.
In the dying minutes, both sides had chances to win it, Knockaert heading wide for Forest before Gregory missed from 12 yards for Derby. In the end both managers relieved perhaps not to lose the game, to settle for a point which takes Forest up to fourteenth on forty points from 33 games. Four wins you feel from securing their place in the 2021/22 Championship with 13 games left to play.
Unbeaten against the Rams now for four years too, disappointed perhaps not to win at Pride Park, but Nottingham Forest played well and certainly have belief right now that the only way is up, a direction the club are heading in under their Manager Chris Hughton who continues to deliver points, the Reds now just two league defeats in fifteen.
Derby County: Marshall (Roos 42), Byrne, Wisdom, Clarke, Buchanan, Bird, Shinnie (Sibley 64), Waghorn (Roberts 75), Knight Jozwiak (Gregory 64), Kazim-Richards.
Nottingham Forest: Samba, Christie, Figueiredo, Worrall, Ribeiro, Cafu, Garner, Knockaert, Krovinovic, Freeman (Blackett 83), Murray (Taylor 70).
Venue: Pride Park
*Main image @NFFC Cyrus Christie in action for Forest against his former club.
