Stalemate at Pride Park
CHAMPIONSHIP: DERBY COUNTY 0, NOTTINGHAM FOREST 0 FOREST PROVE TO BE TOUGH NUT TO CRACK AS RAMS TAKE POINT
THEY said there was little to choose between the two rivals going into the game - and so it proved as Derby County and Nottingham Forest battled out a goalless draw at Pride Park Stadium.
It was tight and tense, fast and furious, as these East Midlands’ showdowns can be, but the honours were shared.
There had been the promise of goals, given the form of Jack Marriott and Harry Wilson for Derby and Lewis Grabban for Forest, but none materialised.
There were openings. Scott Carson, twice, and Costel Pantilimon made big saves. Forest hit the woodwork late on, although Derby believed they should have had a penalty in the first half.
The point lifted Derby one place in the Championship while Forest remain on the fringe of the top six.
Derby were unchanged from the team that won at Wigan, meaning six of the starting 11 tasted this fixture for the first time.
Six of the players are 24 or under and the average age of the side was 25.5 - quite a drop on the final game of last season when the average age of the 11 that started the second leg of the play-off semi final at Fulham was touching 30.
Summer signing George Evans featured in the 18 for the first time since he injured his knee in August.
Forest’s one change saw Saidy Janko come in at left-back and this allowed Derby-born Ben Osborn to play further forward on the left.
Both teams went into the contest in healthy form. Derby had won four of their previous six matches and had suffered only two defeats in 11 League games. Forest’s home defeat by Preston North End last time out was their first in eight games.
There was the usual fast start, typical of when the teams meet.
Forest striker Grabban was almost in after Fikayo Tomori misjudged a long ball forward and then Michael Hefele was close to reaching Osborn’s inswinging free kick. When Derby broke through Tom Lawrence, the move ended with Jayden Bogle’s volley being held by Pantilimon.
Mason Mount, without a goal since September, smashed a shot over after Harry Wilson chested the ball down but it was promising for Derby that the midfielder found a pocket of space on the edge of Forest’s box.
The threat of Grabban to teams is obvious from the Forest man’s goal stats this season and he tested Carson with a low drive but it was endto-end and Derby wanted a penalty after 20 minutes.
It looked a strong claim as Darikwa swung wildly at the ball and caught Tom Lawrence, who went down. Referee Keith Stroud waved away the appeals but anywhere else on the pitch and a free kick would very likely have been given.
That was a let-off for Forest, who had another narrow escape a couple of minutes later. Mount’s corner was glanced by Richard Keogh towards the back post where Tom Huddlestone, stretching, lifted the ball over. Derby were on top.
The movement of Lawrence, Mount and Wilson caused Forest problems, as did Marriott’s Marriott’s tenacity. He does not give defenders a minute’s peace.
Huge cheers greeted a fine piece of defending on Grabban by Tomori, who had settled after a slightly nervy start, but Grabban fashioned a chance for himself shortly before the break only to be denied by Carson, although how much he knew about the save only he will know as the ball appeared to come off his foot.
Yellow cards in the first half went to Craig Bryson, Forest defender Hefele and Rams youngster Bogle, whose aerial challenge on Osborn angered the Forest players and manager and coaching staff. They felt Bogle led with his elbow.
The early minutes of the second half followed the pattern of the first Wilson sent a shot off target for Derby, Janko went closer for Forest but the ball still sailed high and wide.
With there being so little time for the players on the ball, both sides went long at times but not with much success.
Lawrence surged forward but wasted the moment by sending his shot wide before Carson kept Derby level when he dived high to his right to push away Joe Lolley’s effort after a neat Forest move.
It was a good spell for Forest, with Grabban involved in much of the build-up, but the visitors needed
Pantilimon to be alert after 76 minutes.
Marriott, with no let-up in his energy and desire, whipped over a cross. It fell to Wilson, whose stinging volley was pushed out by Forest’s keeper.
There was a tighter shape to both sides in the second half than was seen in the first and this restricted the number of openings. Derby kept plugging away but there was more structure to Forest’s play.
And Forest went close to taking the lead with eight minutes of normal play left when Lolley cut inside on to his left foot again and his strike clipped the top of the bar.
Derby responded as Marriott’s searching centre picked out substitute David Nugent and his header was held by Pantilimon.
It means Forest have lost only one of 11 away League games this season, seven of which have been drawn. They are a tough nut to crack.
Derby are now unbeaten in four at home to their neighbours and in six in total, so they retain the Brian Clough Trophy.