As Rams and Forest fans eagerly await the next meeting of our two clubs at the end of the month I thought that I would take a look back at previous meetings for The Brian Clough Trophy.
The inaugural clash for the new Trophy was just before a Billy Davies led Rams side were to embark on a disastrous Premier League campaign and Forest were looking ahead to a third and final season in League One under the management of Colin Calderwood.
Starting for the Rams that day included a player that proved to be one of the biggest big money flops in a Derby shirt, Robert Earnshaw who went on to better days with our Red Rivals. Forest included Kris Commons who would go on to make headlines in this fixture playing for Derby a season later.
The first match was a pre-season game, but don't call it a friendly! There's no such thing when these sides meet. A crowd of just over 25,000 saw Derby stroll to a 2-0 win through goals from Jay McEveley and Craig Fagan.
The following season saw a relegated Derby and a promoted Forest meet no less than four times. The first was a league game that ended all square at 1-1. Tito Villa's own goal put Forest ahead at Pride Park, before redeeming himself by knocking in a Commons cross to level things up. What followed was possibly the most controversial incidents in the history of the fixture.
Miles Addison seemed to have put the Rams ahead only for referee Staurt Atwell to rule the goal disallowed and instead give Derby a penalty. Former Rams keeper Lee Camp saved the spot kick and just about everyone in the ground were baffled by both decisions. Why was the goal disallowed? What was the penalty for? Only Mr Atwell knew the answers.
If that wasn't enough, Addison again headed into the net a few minutes later and again his goal was disallowed. There appeared to be nothing at all wrong with the goal, but Mr Atwell stuck by his decision and therefore earned himself the notoriety that he has with Derby supporters today.
The F.A. Cup draw paired Derby with Forest again. Another game at Pride Park and live on TV saw the game switched to a Friday night. Derby edged the first half and went ahead through Rob Hulse. Earnshaw equalised in the second half, but the star man was Paul Smith in the visitors goal who pulled off some miraculous saves as Derby pounded their goalmouth.
The game ended 1-1 like the league meeting and so would go to a replay. Fresh from beating Manchester United 1-0 in the league cup, Derby headed across the A52 to the City Ground for the rematch. After twenty minutes it looked like The Rams were going to be in for a spanking. Cohen put Forest ahead and Tyson extended the lead through a penalty awarded after he was brought down by Stephen Bywater. Hulse and Paul Green had levelled things by midway through the second half and what was to follow capped a memorable night for Rqms fans. Kris Commons who had been getting a fair amount of stick from his former clubs fans scored a sensational winner to take Derby through to the next round.
Barely a fortnight later the return league fixture was played. Lewis Nyatanga gave Derby an early lead and Hulse then added a second early in the second half. A Steve Davies penalty then put the Rams firmly in control before Earnshaw grabbed a consolation goal for the hosts. This was one of the easiest wins ever over the old enemy.
The following season our rivals finally got some revenge. Radislaw Majewski scored an absolute screamer to give them an early lead. Nathan Tyson added a second and before the break we found ourselves 3-0 down and a thrashing appeared to be on the cards. Thankfully Derby did give a better account of themselves in the second half. A Wes Morgan own goal and another deflected effort by Jake Livermore made the score more respectable, but Forest were deserved winners in the end. The game is famous for Nathan Tyson grabbing a corner flag at the end of a game and the players partaking in a 22 man squabble. Both clubs fined later by the FA.
Billy Davies took the Reds to Pride Park later that season in search of their first ever win at Pride Park. Forest fans appeared confident, but a Rob Hulse header from a Kris Commons free kick sent them home without that elusive win once again.
The next game in the series was the biggest embarrassment ever suffered by many Rams fans. Losing to your biggest rivals is bad enough but by 5-2 is gut wrenching. What made matters worse was the fact that former Ram Marcus Tudgay grabbed a brace of goals to send us packing. He did show some class though by not celebrating against his old team.
Forest edged the return game at Pride Park, when Robert Earnshaw popped up with a winner in the second half. To be honest they did deserve the win.
The win with ten men was the next encounter. Fielding red carded and a penalty conceded in the opening couple of minutes. It looked like a damage limitation exercise when Andy Reid slotted the penalty past Legzdins. However, Later in the half, Ward danced around the forest defence and beat Camp at the near post to equalise and then Hendrick scored a winner in the second half minutes after missing an easier chance when he headed wide.
On to Pride Park on a cold Tuesday night and into the 4 th minute of time added on and up popped Jake Buxton to clinch a winner and condemn Steve Cotterill's struggling side to another frustrating defeat.
Last season saw the Rams win at the City Ground thanks to a point blank finish by Craig Bryson and the Pride Park game was a draw. Chris Cohen giving the visitors a lead in the first half and then in the second period, Conor Sammon robbed Simon Gillett to set up Jamie Ward to level things.
Sendings off, dramatic games, it's never boring in the East Midlands!
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