The Rams put in a performance against Forest that could only be described as sublime and former forest fan Shaun Barker, put in a performance that will forever make him a Derby hero. I.Saw was there for RamZone and he found it to be poetry in motion!   

Derby County 1 v 0 Nottingham Forest
Coca Cola Championship
Pride Park - Derby
Saturday 30th January 2010 - 13:00pm

Attendance: 32,674

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Preston)

Goals: Rob Hulse (Derby)  - 79’

Teams: 

Derby County (4-4-2): Bywater (7); Hunt (7), Barker (9), Buxton (8), McEveley (7); Green (6), Savage (6), Johnson (6) [Teale (6) 74'], Pearson(6); Hulse (9) [Porter (6) 90'], Commons (8) [R Anderson (6) 87'] - Unused Subs: Deeney (g), Addison, Teale, Moxey, Campbell.

Booked: Hulse, Pearson, Commons, Hunt, McEveley.

Nottingham Forest (4-4-2):

Camp; Gunter, Morgan, Wilson, Perch; Cohen, McKenna, Majewski (McGugan 81), P Anderson (Moussi 76); Blackstock, Earnshaw (Adebola 71) - Unused Subs: Smith (g), Chambers, McCleary, McGoldrick.

Booked: Majewski, Morgan, Gunter

Match Report:

You can pull down Teale’s shorts. It’ll do you no good.
You can concede a free kick. Spit feathers or blood.
You can encroach four yards. It matters not a jot.
Kris Commons hangs it up. Hulse’s on the spot.
Unmarked. Camp’s despairing dive.
Davies narked. Pride Park alive.
Derby One Forest Nil. The sweetest pill.

Seventy eight minutes into this match and Gary Teale drifts between two defenders, a hand grabs his shorts and he’s down, his shorts follow and a free kick follows those.

Kris Commons over the ball, a two man wall six yards away inch back then split. Commons floats a perfect ball into the oncoming space around Hulse and the centre forward powers home a header that leaves Camp floundering.

Thirty thousand inside Pride Park erupt and Forest has lost. Some seventeen minutes later the result is confirmed for the avoidance of doubt. Everything else is mere doggerel.

Working backwards, a mad melee in front of the dug out, McEveley and Gunter handbags over returning a ball with the Trees unhappy they were prevented from taking a quick one.

Ironic really as the Red Dogs had spent most of the first half using delaying tactics whenever the ball went out of play seemingly hoping Derby’s frustration would result in mistakes - it didn’t and it ultimately backfired as Forest were unable to up the tempo when required.

From the start it required less than six minutes for the fourth official to visit Davies and his team on the touchline, presumably over petulantly piddling around with the match ball rather than passing it to the player waiting for the throw. Spoiling by those already spoilt.

Spoilt on European Cups and League Titles you expected more from Forest than thumping the ball forward at the earliest opportunity, preferably in the air, wasn’t pretty yet it gave Shaun Barker the chance to shine, the ex Blackpool stopper did just that winning everything in a man of the match performance.

Derby on the other hand hardly excelled either, losing possession cheaply, it made for an unsatisfying stop start irregular rhythm that offered little quality yet still the Rams had the majority of the chances with corner after corner but no final touch.

Elsewhere performances perhaps more suited to TISWAS and the “dying fly” by Perch and Wilson resulted in bookings for Pearson and Hulse due in no little part to a linesman who flagged by reaction rather than action. Of course that’s how in looked to us in the stands and if TV subsequently shows otherwise then I will be the first one to apologise.

Right after manger Davies shakes Clough’s hand that is. I mentioned spoilt once but I think I got away with it.

Apart from the early second half the Rams had the better of play but also the worse of the bookings, coming off with four against Forest’s three as referee Swarbrick was aided and abetted by players of both teams in to when to open his pocket. Perhaps that’s what you’d expect from a referee who once had Ian Holloway take a laptop into the dressing room afterwards to show him what he’d missed.

For the record the yellow cards for the Rams were; Pearson for persistent infringements which will no doubt surprise those in the stands, Hulse for a foul, Commons for dissent when complaining to the linesman about not getting a foul, Hunt for fouling after first being fouled and McEveley for the ruckus with Gunter near the end of the match.

For Forest their yellows were; Morgan who got his for a late challenge, before the defender arrived even later still and got away with it and Majewski who started the whole kit and caboodle by kicking the ball away in the first half. It was a portent of things to come as a) he kicked it to a ball boy and b) the multiball system used meant it made no discernable difference other than to a sad football referee.

It’s churlish to complain. None of that matters. Neither does League position or unbeaten runs or condescending after match comments such as “if it helps them avoid relegation”.

What matters is that on Sunday. On Monday and for some time thereafter, Derby heads will be held high, in pubs, in offices, in schools, everywhere.

Derby County you did yourselves and your fans proud, for that we salute you.

Man Of The Match (Courtesy of Mick McDermott):

Shaun Barker: Immense, a player the word imperious was invented for. McFarland-esque and that's not a word I use lightly.

Other men of the match:

Savage: Did what Savage does - got among them and made them lose their shape.

Hulse & Commons: Magnificent up front, Hulse held up everything he got despite Forest's defence being very good.

Hunt: Looks composed - even laconic in defence and get's forward well.

McEveley: Aggressive and tenacious. We restricted Forest to speculative efforts.

The Crowd: Good and got behind the team - the tactics meant that Forest didn't have anything to sing about.

Match Reactions:

Nigel Clough did not speak to the press either out of respect for his former club or he was still chasing Billy D to try and get his handshake.

Instead Johnny Metgod faced the media to talk about the Rams fantastic victory:

"They have set themselves a standard, if Commons and the rest  can do it against Forest I can't see any reason why they cannot do it in the next 18 games."

After Billy Davies did a runner from Nigel’s threatening handshake he tried to convince the press that he and his team had done the Rams a favor:

"If these three points keep Derby up I'll be delighted for them. We never really got going today because they did a good job and never let us play. But I'm very proud of what my team has done and they are allowed an off day."

And goal scoring hero Rob Hulse was over the moon with his strike and the local derby win that came with it:

"The ball in from Commo was a belter, as soon as it left his foot I knew I was going to score, it was just one of those crosses; you know you're going to get on the end of it".

"It was a bit frantic after that, but the lads were magnificent especially at the back in a great team performance".

"We could have been ahead at the break had it not been for their goalkeeper, so it was a case of remaining calm and patient and waiting for something to drop for us".

"You have to believe a chance is coming, whether it does or it doesn't. It came our way, and we deserved it."

"It is a fantastic victory and a fantastic feeling, we worked really hard for the win and to have the local bragging rights is fantastic".

"I thought we were the better side from the first whistle and deserved it and it is a massive achievement to end Forest's unbeaten run".

"We've set the standard now and we hope we can carry that on. This year we've had some down moments this season in a difficult season, but moments like today make it all worth it".

"I think we just wanted it that little bit more today."

Amen to that Rob, Amen to that!

Photo: Action Images

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