They say a week is a long time in football. A month then, is an eternity and the last month has proved as much.

Just one month ago, the Rams were in a four way tie at the top. A month later and until the 92nd minute of this one, it seemed that the Rams were in danger of sliding out of the play- off spots.

An alarming and untimely month which has seen us decimated by injuries, Lee Grant struggling to catch a cold and Craig Forsyth suffering from, ‘passing to the wrong team,’ syndrome. That said, the performances, for my money, haven’t been all that bad. I’d like to say the same about game 42, but I’d be lying.

Showing two enforced changes from the win in the Rugby town, Bryson returned for the suspended Hughes, while Christ our saviour Christopher Martin returned for Jamie Ward. And the first ten-minutes suggested that we might just still be in the race for the top-two, as the Rams bolted out of the door like my cat after he’s spotted a mouse.

Sharp play saw Ince fouled around 30 yards out. The same player than proceeded to curl a delicious free-kick just the wrong side of Button’s post. Next, following a corner, clever work from Martin saw him find Ince again. This time, his curling effort tested Button, with the Brentford stopper plunging to his right to push the ball away. The subsequent centre was well dummied by Albentosa but not evaded Bent.

You felt an early goal could open the floodgates. Sadly, that was arguably as much pressure as we were able to assert in the contest as we soon let Brentford into the game.

The dangerous Odubajo saw his effort well punched away by Grant after Jota had headed down a cross. Next, a rash tackle by Albentosa led to a free-kick which, if the referee had a compass, would have proved to have been in the absolute centre of the goal. Judge eventually struck it, but he couldn’t sentence Derby to go behind, his shot instead whistling just wide with Grant sprawling.

What was extremely obvious was that we were missing our protection in midfield. Far much space was being afforded and as such, Brentford exploited our colander-like defence for the opener. Hendrick lost the ball near the edge of the Brentford box and within three passes, the ball was in our net.

Douglas found Judge with all the time in the world in the centre. He then found Pritchard on the left, who was obviously going to cut-in on his right-foot. Still, Keogh backed off and backed off and in fairness, was probably pre-occupied by the runner on his right. With no tackle coming, Pritchard stepped inside the skipper and Bryson, before unleashing a top strike into the far corner. Taking nothing away from a great strike, there really should have been a challenge sooner. Or at all. We were chasing yet another game.

It very nearly got worse as Pritchard again drove a bus through the hole in our midfield, before hopping out and driving a strike, thankfully straight at Grant. Oh for a Thorne / Eustace / Mascarell / Makelele / Keane….. etc.

Our best moment of the half came in the terraces, where a superb show of affection for terminally-ill broadcaster Colin Bloomfield occurred in the 33rd minute. We very nearly got a goal for him too, with Ince’s screwed shot almost finding Bent for a tap-in. Better play then saw Russell, strangely off-colour in the first-half, drop an excellent cross just over the centre-half but only just too far in front of Bent.

0-1 half time.

It didn’t need a rocket scientist to point out that the next 45 minutes was to be the biggest of the season. With Brentford set to go 2 points clear of the Rams, we needed a spark. We needed to get back to our strengths, play through Martin and press higher up the pitch. We needed a change, and got one, with Dawkins coming on for Russell, whose sub-standard performance was later put down to illness. We needed to stand up and be counted.

What we actually got was, for my money, the worst and most frustrating half of the entire season.

Switching to what was supposed to be a 4-3-3, we stuck Martin out on the left-wing and left the invisible man on the right. If Ince was supposed to be playing there, then I suggest he goes back to school to reaffirm his knowledge on left and rights…

To their credit, Brentford played on our anxiety and lack of positional sense and should have been out of sight early in the second period. Thankfully, it seemed that they had smuggled Leon Best in to pose as Andre Gray as time and again the big striker fluffed his lines.

First, following a ricochet, he wanted far too much time as he eventual shot was deflected wide by Albentosa. Next, a better chance, as Douglas found Gray free in the box. Again, the striker was guilty of daydreaming as he allowed Forsyth back into challenge, before eventually wrestling free but still screwing his shot well wide.

The Rams seemed to have just one out ball - long over the top for Bent to chase. Time and again however, we were too early with the pass, instead of looking for one or two more balls THEN playing the killer pass. Forsyth was also struggling with colour-blindness or extra-man syndrome as over and over, his long punts up the line went to nobody. Our talisman was stuck out on the left and we were not holding the ball as a result.

But still, we were somehow in the game. Another Brentford attack saw a cross from the left find Jota. A heavy touch should have seen Bryson clearing him and the ball into the stand but instead, Jota wriggled free and laid back to Douglas. From no more than 10 yards, the Brentford skipper placed a shot and must have been ready to wheel away. Instead, the shot beat Grant but Forsyth did someone right by getting in behind his keeper to knock away off the line. Another crisis averted.

After another ten minutes of misplaced passes, groans and cries of ‘get Martin down the bloomin middle,’ we made a couple of changes; Lingard replacing Bryson and Whitbread Warnock, meaning Forsyth somehow escaped the axe. Still, Brentford and Gray were guilty of missing yet another chance, as Dallas’ cross was a fraction too high for him on the back stick, the Rams fortunate to see his header drift over.

Despite our woeful display, the more we went on without conceding, the more I started to believe that we could sneak something. After finally getting a corner, Whitbread went close with a flicked header that Button tipped over. That was our first real effort of the half though and with time ticking down and frustration at fever pitch, Hendrick was arguably lucky to stay on the pitch after a wild lunge on ex-Ram Tommy Smith.

Lucky was certainly the word of the day as somehow, in stoppage time, we got a leveller.

Forsyth finally found Martin’s feet and the big man laid off to Hendrick. 25 yards out, the Irishman went for glory and let fly. Sadly he screwed his shot massively to the left of target. Thankfully, the ball fell straight to the feet of Bent, who controlled and then poked over Button and in.

Somehow, we had snatched a point.

After negotiating the last-knockings, the whistle went and we put on our stripy prison shirts and headed off to the dressing room, as the police sirens wailed following what was daylight robbery.

That said, we were due a bit of luck and a late goal to boot. The reaction of the players spoke volumes however.

This was not a side that were happy with a point. This was not a side that were playing with confidence. Unbelievably, this was not a side that would go up as one of the top-two.

I can’t believe I’m saying this but... Wembley again anyone?

Weston’s Player Ratings:

Lee Grant — 7: Couple of good saves, no chance with the goal.

Richard Keogh — 7: Solid in unfamiliar role.

Derby County Polls