REPORT: Derby County 0-0 Nottingham Forest

Derby County and Nottingham Forest played out a lively but ultimately goalless local derby on Monday night at Pride Park.
Joao Carvalho on the ball for Forest. Photo by Jez Tighe.Joao Carvalho on the ball for Forest. Photo by Jez Tighe.
Joao Carvalho on the ball for Forest. Photo by Jez Tighe.

A lack of quality in the final third proved the key to the stalemate in a game that kept threatening to produce a goal or two but which saw the two defences rule the roost.

Forest will be the happier of the two sides having largely nullified the threat of Derby's danger men throughout, although the visitors had a couple of good openings in the second-half that could have seen them nick the points.

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In the end, however, the spoils being shared was perhaps the right outcome.

Harry Wilson gets a cross in during the first-half.Harry Wilson gets a cross in during the first-half.
Harry Wilson gets a cross in during the first-half.

After a high tempo start, the first chance saw full-back Jayden Bogle hit one from outside the box after a good Rams counter, but Costel Pantilimon gathered the shot which was straight at him.

Mason Mount blasted too high after an error from Tendayi Darikwa had let Tom Lawrence in down the left, Harry Wilson's knock back met by Mount's volley but the effort was well over.

Then a mistake by Richard Keogh gave Lewis Grabban a chance at the other end but he shot low at Scott Carson from 25 yards.

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Derby felt they should have had a penalty when Lawrence was taken out by Darikwa whose high challenge looked a certain foul, but referee Keith Stroud waved away firm protests from the Rams contingent.

Keogh then created an opening at the right end as he flicked on a Mount corner but the stretching Tom Huddlestone a the back post could only divert the ball over the bar.Jack Marriott headed onto the roof of the net from a Lawrence cross on 32 minutes, but for all Derby's effort they were managing only half chances despite being well on top.

Forest then had their best chance so far as Grabban was released through the middle and checked back but his shot was saved by Carson's legs for a corner, that being the last opening before the break as both sides went in having put forward plenty of effort but without the quality needed to break the deadlock.

Wilson had the first effort of note in the second-half, cutting in but shooting well wide, then Forest's Saidy Janko got down the left but fired high and wide from a tight angle.

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Lawrence then dispossessed Darikwa in the Forest half before running on and shooting powerfully wide, although a pass to the right where Marriott was alongside him may have served the team better.

Carson was called into action at the other end as Joe Lolley cut inside and curled an effort towards the far corner but the Rams keeper did well to push the effort over the top.

Reds keeper Pantilimon then had to his bit to keep the scores level, as Marriott's powerful cross was met by Wilson on the volley but his good strike was parried away.

Lolley was causing problems at the back and had another good chance with eight minutes left, his strike this time hitting the top of the crossbar and going behind.

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Sub David Nugent then headed a Marriott cross straight at Pantilimon as the game moved into stoppage time, but that would be that as despite both sides' efforts, neither would walk away with the three points.

Derby: Carson, Bryson, Tomori, Keogh (c), Wilson, Mount (Holmes 85), Lawrence (Nugent 73), Marriott, Bogle, Huddlestone, Malone

Subs not used: Roos, Wisdom, Jozefzoon, Pearce, Evans

Forest: Pantilimon, Colback, Grabban (Murphy 83), Carvalho, Osborn (c), Robinson, Janko, Lolley (Cash 90+2), Yacob, Darikwa, Hefele

Subs not used: Steele, Guedioura, Watson, Dias, Ansarifard

Ref: Keith Stroud

Att: 31,160