It looked like ending in a stalemate. A high paced game that lacked final third quality at both ends. Then came the goal, from an unlikely source in a less than fantastic fashion, but all Rams fans cared about is that it did!

Derby County 1 vs. 0 Nottingham Forest

Pride Park Stadium

14th March 2012

Andy D’Urso

Attendance:

33,010 (4,215 Fallen Trees)

The Teams:

Derby County:

 Fielding (GK); Green, Barker (Buxton 75’), Shackell, Roberts; Tyson, Hendrick, Bryson, B. Davies; Robinson, S. Davies (Ball 90’).

Subs Not Used: Legzdins (GK), Bailey, Carroll.

Goals: J.Buxton (90’ + 4’)

Nottingham Forest:

 Camp (GK); Gunter, Lynch, Chambers, Cunningham; McCleary, Moussi, Guedioura (Greening 56’), Reid (Wootton 90’); Tudgay, Blackstock (Miller 75’).

Subs Not Used: Smith (GK), McGugan.

Red Cards: M.Tudgay (90’)

Match Stats: Rams – Forest

Goals: 1 - 0

Possession: 58% - 42%

Shots On Target: 5 - 2

Shots Off Target: 7 - 7

Corners: 11 - 3

Fouls: 13 - 17

Most Fouls: T.Robinson (2) – D.Blackstock (6)

Match Summary:

It had been 40 years since the Rams last did a double over Forest and it was on this day that the most unlikely of goal scorer would end the drought.

There is always spice in a Rams v Forest match and referee Andy D’Urso was kept busy as the red dogs showed their intention of trying to out muscle the Rams with both Adlene Guedioura and Guy Moussi finding themselves in the book in just over 15 minutes.

The game was producing, fast, frenetic football which pinged end to end but lacked any real quality in the final third. Nathan Tyson, Craig Bryson and Steve Davies had the best chances in the first half for Derby while former Ram Marcus Tudgay missed with his header for Forest.

In the second half Moussi had Frank Fielding beaten but luckily the ball came off a defender and was diverted to safety.

Tyson again had a good shot flash wide while a Ben Davies cross was only just kept out by Lee Camp.

There was the obligatory scuffle between players in this fixture when Dexter Blackstock crudely cut down Ben Davies. Players came from everywhere and the half hearted wrestling only resulted in a yellow for the instigator Blackstock.

Rams hearts sank with 15 minutes left when Shaun Barker collided with Frank Fielding which resulted in the Derby Captain being stretchered off with a serious knee injury. ‘Super Sub’ Jake Buxton was his replacement and little where we to know exactly how super!

The bad luck nearly continued as Tudgay went close to putting Andy Reid’s free kick into the back of the net. Instead he missed and followed it up with a crazy challenge on Ben Davies which had the referee and Tudgay seeing red.

With Forest down to ten men and injury time ticking past 4 minutes, Ben Davies teased the box with a sublime cross that Jake Buxton managed to get a head on.

When interviewed on BBC Radio Derby Buxton stated his head was hit by a Rams players shin as they attempting a shot. This momentum pushed his head onto the ball and in turn the back of the net.

Does that mean the shin gets a stat for an assist?

6 more minutes of injury time and after 100+ minutes of action, 40 years became 0.

The Rams rule the Forest... twice in 11/12!!

Official Match Reports:

DCFC Official Site Report

NFFC Official Site Report

Managers Reaction:

Nigel Clough was proud to equal his old mans achievements against Forest:

"The performance from the players was superb and on the balance of play we deserved the win - and it was about time we scored a late goal because they've been few and far between us. It was a frantic game from the first whistle, as all local derby matches are, and the crowd played a massive part tonight by creating an unbelievable atmosphere."

"With all the crosses, corners and free-kicks we had we felt it was only a matter of time before a good chance came our way, and luckily Jake took it with a few minutes left on the clock. Forest were hard to break down but we kept going kept getting balls into the box and kept getting white shirts into the penalty area in search of a goal."

 "No Derby team has done the double over Forest for 40 years so to do it this season is very special for everyone connected with the club. We've now won two of our last three games at home with some cracking performances and we're so proud of this set of players - and the challenge now is to kick on in the closing ten games of the season and see how high we can finish in the Championship."

 "Jake Buxton sums up exactly what a team player is all about and we're all delighted for him personally that he's got the winner in such an important fixture. He's come off the bench on a number of occasions this season to help us register some vital wins, whether it has been for ten minutes, five minutes or even a minute, he has played his part."

"He could have sulked after being left out of the side. He was our Man of the Match on Saturday against Watford, but we wanted to reunite Shaun Barker and Jason Shackell at the heart of defence but Jake didn't sulk for one second and he's got his rewards now. Jake is a very popular lad and everyone appreciates what he brings to the squad, even if he can't start every single week."

"He helped us keep a clean sheet and then to go and get the winner was just amazing for him."

Derby County Legend / Hero / Super Sub Reaction:

‘Super Sub’ Jake Buxton was ecstatic to have won the game for his team and the fans:

"It's an amazing feeling to come off the bench in a local derby and score the winning goal. I felt it more for my family because they have followed me throughout my career, in the rain and snow since I was 10 years of age and they have stuck with me."

 "We had three or four deliveries from Ben Davies and I thought on the night his set-pieces were crucial; we just needed somebody to put their head on it. His delivery for the goal was probably the worst ball of the lot! It was below head height, but I just managed to get my head on it and it just trickled in."

 "On the night we just kept chipping away and even though it was goal in the 94th minute, I thought we deserved the three points for our overall performance on the night."

"The Gaffer brought it up and so did Barks before the game; it is an outstanding achievement, brilliant for the fans and it just goes to show the club are moving in the right direction." 

"People have asked the question, is the club moving forward? Well we have got 10 games left and we are on the same amount of points as what we finished with last season. So now is the time to kick on and get four or five more wins and try and get above the 60 point mark and finish in the top half."

Next Match:

Doncaster vs. Derby

Keepmoat Stadium

3pm – March 17th 2002

Photo: Action Images

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