Nottingham Forest had started the game as favourites to win back the Brian Clough Trophy and the bragging rights due to their investment in their playing squad made over the summer and early season. Derby in contrast have mainly signed players for significantly lower fees.
In front of a near sell out crowd, Forest were determined to to extract revenge on their closest rivals. They did in fact edge a competitive first half which set off with both sides showing their intent to go home victorious. The first half saw many clumsy challenges and the referee was busy from the word go.
Gareth Roberts, Jake Buxton for Derby and Andy Reid and Simon Cox for the hosts being guilty of some rather clumsy challenges. One incident saw Roberts make a crunching tackle on Blackstock near the touchline which the Forest Striker was clearly not happy with. He retaliated by grabbing Roberts and slamming him to the ground.
Actual highlights of play saw both Simon Cox for Forest and Conor Sammon for Derby have long range efforts on goal, but alas both were wide of the goalmouth. Forest went in at the break probably shading the half overall.
When the game restarted it wasn't long before the Robert Madley, the referee was stopping the game. Dexter Blackstock was adjudged to have put his elbow in the face of Rams skipper Richard Keogh and for that saw a straight red card!
Keogh later admitted that he thought the decision was harsh. There is a lack of consistency from today's referees and some no doubt may have only given a yellow for the offence.
The sending off did change the game! Derby then took the initiative and after fifty five minutes were ahead. A move saw John Brayford, Will Hughes and Paul Coutts move the ball down the right with the latter squaring the ball across the box for Craig Bryson to tap in and make it 0-1 in favour of Derby!
Unlike in previous games this season, Derby were able to hang on to a lead, despite a good effort from Simon Gillett later on. His shot was superbly turned away by Frank Fielding.
So the Rams now have beaten their rivals three times in the last three meetings, however it is important that they move on and find some consistency and start to move up the Championship table. The fans deserve it for the patience that the majority have shown over the past few seasons.
For Forest, they will need to dust themselves down and get back into the habit of getting points. They have an excellent squad and play attractive football. They do seem to lack a Plan B though and are a little reminiscent of the Derby side from a couple of season ago that passed teams off the park, but then were found wanting when teams adopted the tactics to counteract their flowing football.
Forest- Camp, Halford (Moloney 77), Ayala, Collins, Harding, Gillett, Cohen, McGugan (Lansbury 74), Reid (Sharp 74), Blackstock (Sent off 46), Cox. Subs not used - Evitmov, Moussi, Coppinger, Majewski.
Derby - Fielding, Brayford, Keogh, Buxton, Roberts (O'Connor 77), Coutts, Hendrick, Bryson, Hughes, Ward (Jacobs 65), Sammon (Robinson 81). Subs not used - Legzdins, Freeman, Gjorkaj, Tyson.
Man of the Match - Richard Keogh, great display in the centre of defence.
Attendance - 28,707 (4,389 away fans)
Photo of Rams celebrating courtesy of Steven Kirton.
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