Championship
Nottm ForestNottingham Forest2DerbyDerby County2

Nottingham Forest 2-2 Derby County

By Andrew AloiaBBC Sport at the City Ground
David Nugent scores for Derby
David Nugent headed Derby 2-1 up at the City Ground with only his second goal since joining from Middlesbrough in January

Daniel Pinillos scored a 94th-minute equaliser to earn Nottingham Forest a draw with Derby in a meeting of the East Midlands' two newest managers.

Zach Clough's prodded finish from a brilliant Pinillos cross gave new Reds boss Mark Warburton a perfect start.

Matej Vydra levelled after the break with a sliding effort before David Nugent headed home six minutes later for Gary Rowett's Rams.

But Pinillos' header earned a point and kept Forest out of the drop zone.

The leveller came from a corner after substitute Apostolos Vellios saw his shot cannon off the post from 20 yards deep in stoppage time.

Two managers appointed at opposite ends of Brian Clough Way on Tuesday have two very different jobs ahead of them.

For Warburton, victory seemed imperative as Forest tried to avoid tumbling into the Championship relegation zone - a fate they avoided thanks to Pinillos' late effort and Aiden McGeady's injury-time equaliser to earn Preston a 2-2 draw at Blackburn in the division's other early kick-off.

Rowett's remit, however, is nowhere near as perilous as Derby travelled to the City Ground in mid-table after just one win from nine previous league games.

The draw leaves them 10th, nine points adrift of sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday, who lost 2-0 to Reading on Friday.

Derby boss Gary Rowett (left) and Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton were taking charge of their new clubs for the first time
Derby boss Gary Rowett (left) and Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton were taking charge of their new clubs for the first time

Former Rangers boss Warburton only had four days to influence a Forest side sliding towards relegation trouble, taking over after a run of five defeats from their previous seven games under interim boss Gary Brazil.

The Reds got a huge early boost, thanks for Clough's excellently slotted fifth-minute goal, which instilled confidence and sparked a period of sustained pressure for the hosts.

Ben Osborn was influential at both ends for Forest, and 17-year-old Ben Brereton was a dashing presence on the right from where he ghosted in to have a shot blocked by Craig Bryson after Britt Assombalonga clipped a cross off the top of the crossbar to cause confusion in the box.

Two goals in six second-half minutes from Vydra and Nugent transformed the game as the Rams, so ineffectual before the break, flooded forward with relentless endeavour.

Vydra equalised with a sliding finish, meeting a low cross from Johnny Russell and Nugent then had then 1,951 travelling fans in raptures, nodding in off the post from a Bradley Johnson delivery.

Both sides continued to create chances, Tom Ince hitting the top of the bar with a free-kick and Johnson, Alex Pearce and Jacob Butterfield testing home goalkeeper Jordan Smith, while Forest substitute Ross McCormack had a shot blocked just minutes after he was brought off the bench to replace Clough.

But those jeers turned to cheers when Pinillos struck to earn Forest a draw.

Nottingham Forest boss Mark Warburton: "The most pleasing thing was the character the players showed to get control of the game again.

"It would have been very upsetting not to to take something from the game. After a really pleasing first half, it was frustrating to find yourself 2-1 down. But they showed great character and that got the late reward. We deserved the point.

"We have been with the players for three days, you ask them to do certain things, you don't want to change too much at short notice, but you ask them to get on the football, to be brave and pass the football. In the first half, they showed they can do that. We challenged them, they dealt with it and that is very pleasing."

Derby boss Gary Rowett: "It was a fantastic game to be back and be part of.

"I was looking forward to seeing what we learned, looking forward to seeing some of the things they would do well and things they would do not so well. You always have to have that overview, that rationale about the first game.

"At half-time we just spoke about relaxing a little bit, the longer it was 1-0 the more pressure we could put on and the more edgy they would get. To get the goal so early in the second half, at that point we were in complete control and really dominant and moved the ball fantastically well.

"The disappointing thing from there, having been in control, was that we have to see things out. But I'm not going to be critical of the players because I don't know what we want completely yet."

Line-ups

Nottm Forest

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 43Smith
  • 4Mancienne
  • 42Worrall
  • 13FoxBooked at 80mins
  • 3Pinillos
  • 24Vaughan
  • 8CohenSubstituted forCashat 71'minutes
  • 45Brereton
  • 16CloughSubstituted forMcCormackat 63'minutes
  • 11Osborn
  • 9AssombalongaSubstituted forVelliosat 79'minutes

Substitutes

  • 17Pereira
  • 22Kasami
  • 26Evtimov
  • 28Lam
  • 39Vellios
  • 41Cash
  • 50McCormack

Derby

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Carson
  • 12Baird
  • 6Keogh
  • 16Pearce
  • 29Olsson
  • 4Bryson
  • 15JohnsonBooked at 90mins
  • 10Ince
  • 7Russell
  • 23VydraSubstituted forButterfieldat 73'minutes
  • 28NugentSubstituted forBennettat 83'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Christie
  • 8Anya
  • 18Butterfield
  • 19Hughes
  • 20Camara
  • 35Mitchell
  • 38Bennett
Referee:
Peter Bankes
Attendance:
26,665

Match Stats

Home TeamNottm ForestAway TeamDerby
Possession
Home66%
Away34%
Shots
Home11
Away13
Shots on Target
Home3
Away7
Corners
Home5
Away5
Fouls
Home9
Away12

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Nottingham Forest 2, Derby County 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Nottingham Forest 2, Derby County 2.

  3. Booking

    Bradley Johnson (Derby County) is shown the yellow card.

  4. Goal!

    Goal! Nottingham Forest 2, Derby County 2. Daniel Pinillos (Nottingham Forest) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ben Osborn with a cross following a corner.

  5. Post update

    Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Scott Carson.

  6. Post update

    Attempt saved. Ben Osborn (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ben Brereton.

  7. Post update

    Apostolos Vellios (Nottingham Forest) hits the left post with a left footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Ben Osborn.

  8. Post update

    Daniel Fox (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Mason Bennett (Derby County).

  10. Post update

    Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Markus Olsson.

  11. Substitution

    Substitution, Derby County. Mason Bennett replaces David Nugent.

  12. Post update

    Attempt missed. Daniel Fox (Nottingham Forest) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Ben Osborn with a cross following a set piece situation.

  13. Post update

    Ben Osborn (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Chris Baird (Derby County).

  15. Booking

    Daniel Fox (Nottingham Forest) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Daniel Fox (Nottingham Forest).

  17. Post update

    Craig Bryson (Derby County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  18. Substitution

    Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Apostolos Vellios replaces Britt Assombalonga.

  19. Post update

    Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Jordan Smith.

  20. Post update

    Attempt saved. Jacob Butterfield (Derby County) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Craig Bryson.

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Newcastle38246870323878
2Brighton38238763333077
3Huddersfield37225104743471
4Leeds382161152361669
5Reading38207115149267
6Sheff Wed38188124839962
7Fulham381613966471961
8Norwich38169136556957
9Preston381512115347657
10Derby381411134138353
11Barnsley38149155555051
12Aston Villa381312133939051
13Cardiff38149155354-151
14Brentford38148166057350
15QPR38148164651-550
16Wolves37129164648-245
17Ipswich381015133847-945
18Birmingham381112153854-1645
19Bristol City38118195053-341
20Nottm Forest38118195364-1141
21Burton381011173953-1441
22Blackburn38913164657-1140
23Wigan38810203144-1334
24Rotherham3845293387-5417
View full Championship table

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