BOGLE’S GIFT ENSURES FOREST GRABB VICTORY
Rams boss Cocu laments defender’s mistake
ASIDE from actually signing the card and putting it in the post, Jayden Bogle couldn’t have done any more to make sure Forest manager Sabri Lamouchi had a happy birthday.
It was Bogle’s suicidal attempt to get Derby County going forward again that provided Lewis Grabban with his 56th-minute winner.
Bogle’s pass inside his own half gave Lamouchi, 48 yesterday, his second win over the Rams this term.
At least Derby did better than the last time they were at Forest for the east Midlands local derby and were tonked 3-0 in the Carabao Cup in August.
Derby boss Phillip Cocu, new to these fierce battles, picked a weakened team for that one.
This time it was just a weak pass that did the damage.
“It was an individual mistake,” said Cocu. “A split-second decision and bad judgement.
“It was a shame because I thought we played a good game.” Not good enough, though.
This was Forest’s third successive win over Derby.
The last time Nottingham Forest dominated like this was 29 years ago when Brian Clough was manager.
Forest and the Rams play for the Brian Clough Trophy in this fixture now, Clough having managed both clubs to glory, and Lamouchi said: “It is a good birthday for me, one that I shall remember that’s for sure.
“A fantastic day, a fantastic result. So proud, so happy for the players, and the supporters.
“It is gift for me, but it is also a gift for them.
“This was more difficult than the cup victory, both tactically and in the quality of the players.” The last Derby player to score against
Forest was David Nugent in a 2-2 draw over two-and-a-half years ago, a run of five derbies.
But for Bogle’s bungle, Derby might have come out of this one without a goal again, but with a point.
“It’s a difficult one for Bogle because he feels he let his team down,” admitted Cocu.
“But now the job for the team is to support him, pick him up and help him.
“He has to learn from it and go on. He struggled a little bit in the game to keep playing.
“It is part of his development, he is still a young player. It will be in his mind for a while.
“I’m sad for us because with a 0-0 I would have been happy. We lost the game and I think we deserved more.” Lamouchi has pulled Forest out of the slump that brought two successive defeats and now, with victories against Luton Town and Derby, they are back in the promotion hunt.
Tiago Silva pulled the strings for Forest with his passing ability, particularly at the start of the second half when they were dominant.
Derby goalkeeper Kelle Roos needed to be sharp to keep out the impressive Sammy Ameobi, but it was just as difficult for Brice Samba at the other end because Derby were well in this game.
Particularly towards the end, Derby upped the pressure and Jack Marriott had a couple of chances to equalise, one weakly hit and the other saved.
Joe Worrall needed to be strong in defence, repelling all boarders successfully, and said: “I loved every second of it It is awesome and what dreams are made of.
“We need to keep pushing up the table – but what a day.”
Cocu admits he will have to work on Bogle to get his personal disaster out of his mind.
Bogle, 19, joins up with the England under-20 squad next week and Cocu says: “He will go with England to play.
“Then Bogle can focus with me on the game at Preston when he returns.”
Poor Bogle took a pass out of defence from Curtis Davies and with Ameobi pressurising him, played a ball to a colleague who just wasn’t there.
Grabban lived up to his name, grabbing the chance and his seventh goal of the season.