Rams defeated and deflated

Just seventeen miles separate these two sides either side of the stretch of the A52 named after the man who changed the history and fortunes of both clubs in their post World War eras.

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Article by Fred Gough

Nottingham Forest [1] Derby County [0] - Attendance: 25,114

Brian Clough’s name links the two bitter rivals who met after contrasting first fifteen league games of the 2015/2016 season. Derby County were starting to make their charge for the promotion hunt whereas their hosts for this fixture were looking the more sheepish with failure to win since early September.

Two changes were made to the starting eleven from Tuesday’s victory over Queens Park Rangers, George Thorne returned following his one match ban and Stephen Warnock replaced the injured Craig Forsyth after the latter was confirmed that his season was over due to ACL injury to his knee.

Paul Clement’s pre match message was to remain grounded and calm however it appeared his players got wound up by the sense of occasion as Nottingham Forest started the brighter and took the lead within four minutes.

Image Copyright – DCFC Media

On loan Portuguese striker Oliveira at the second attempt drove a low and deflected attempt beyond Scott Carson to break the deadlock. It was the first time that the Rams had conceded in the first fifteen minutes of any game since the start of the campaign. It created an uphill battle for the away side, if it hadn’t been for the fingertips of their goalkeeper Derby could have been two-nil down minutes later.

Jamie Ward who had been released by the black and white side of the East Midlands divide in the early part of the summer had moved to Forest and was keen to make an impression upon his former employers. His effort was foiled by Carson as the home side kept pushing their opponents deep.

Despite a high volume of possession, the chances went begging for Derby, high and wide attempts by Thorne and Bradley Johnson failed to test Dutchman Doris De Vries. Jeff Hendrick had the Rams’ best chance as a 25 yard strike clipped the top of the crossbar but Forest kept coming at their rivals, Henri Lansbury testing from range, Matt Mills having another goal chalked off after a feisty square up from a Nottingham Forest corner.

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Johnny Russell stung the finger tips of De Vries, and his free kick cannoned off a Forest defender over the bar in the limited chances that Derby looked threatening from.

Half Time: Nottingham Forest 1 Derby County 0

A below par first half was replicated in the second period, as the Rams looked dismantled and deflated despite continuing to have two thirds of the possession count. Oliveira dragged another shot wide and a last gasp clearance by experienced full back Warnock kept the score line at 1-0 to the home side.

Chris Martin’s late free kick went high and over the bar and summed up the misery of the performance for his side as Mendes and Oliveira attempted to double their side’s lead but to no avail.

Full Time: Nottingham Forest 1 Derby County 0

After a stretch of ten games, Paul Clement suffers only his third defeat in a total of fifteen league games and one cup tie. Unfortunately for the Rams head coach the league defeats have come against sides his side’s supporters wish to own the bragging rights over, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest.

Image Copyright – DCFC Media

This was a poor display by Derby County in comparison to what they have produced in the last eight weeks, the head coach correctly diagnosed that his side had tried to over complicate the issue of the match and tried to play in a style that didn’t appear to be on the same wave length that previous results had shown.

Unfortunately now for Rams fans it is a long wait before the game at home to Cardiff on Saturday 21 November and the Brian Clough trophy remains in the possession on the red side of the A52.

The club must react to this deflation with a good response over the Bluebirds or else the run up to the festive period will seem a miserable time for those in black and white.

Teams:

Nottingham Forest: De Vries, Lichai, Mills, Hobbs, Pinilos, Vaughan (y/c – 32), Lansbury, Williams (y/c – 1 (Trotter – 70)), Mendes, Ward (Osborn – 60) & Oliveira(y/c – 72 (Blackstock – 89)); Substitutes –Evtimov, Wilson, Trotter, Osborn, Burke, Walker & Blackstock.

DCFC [4-3-3] – Carson, Christie (y/c – 84), Keogh, Shackell, Warnock, Thorne, Hendrick (Ince – 64) , Johnson , Weimann (Bent – 79), Martin (capt) & Russell (Butterfield – 72); Substitutes – Shotton, Pearce, Baird, Grant, Hanson, Bent & Weimann

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