Boss Paul Jewell felt Town’s 0-0 draw at Derby was the traditional game of two halves. The Blues were the better side before the break with the Rams on top in the second period.

Jewell said: “I thought first half we were excellent, but we just lacked that cutting edge.

“I think it was the classic game of two halves, we were better than them in the first half and they put us under severe pressure in the second.

“I thought the back four played excellently, they had to defend a lot of corners, a lot of balls in the box. Both sides hit the post and I think their keeper made a couple of good saves in the first half.

“I was disappointed in our second half performance going forward because I thought that in the first half some of our passing, some of the situations we got in, we should have made more of but we didn’t.”

Despite failing to score, the Town manager was happy not to have conceded at the other end for the 12th time this season: “I’m pleased we kept the clean sheet. It’s obviously been an Achilles’ heel of ours, conceding goals. That isn’t just down to the back four, like stopping goals isn’t just down to the back four.

“But I think we had to do better in the second half. The ball came back too easily. In all areas in the first half, we dominated, in the second we had to defend for our lives.”

Jewell felt Jason Scotland had some effect when he came on: “Jason gets hold of it, he backs in and he makes it difficult for defenders but, as I say, in the second half going forward we carried very little threat and that disappoints me. But first half we were excellent.”

Town similarly tired after the break at Watford recently but the Blues boss didn’t think fatigue was particularly an issue: “I think Derby have played the same amount of games. I don’t think we can use tiredness as an excuse.

“It’s going to be a factor on Monday, I would think, but certainly you wouldn’t have said we looked tired in the first half.

“Second half, we went a bit deeper, we couldn’t get hold of the ball, we couldn’t pass it, but let’s give Derby credit, they played well in the second half.

“This isn’t an easy place to come, Nigel Clough’s got them going at home, I think they’ve won three out of the last four here, so it was a good point for us.”

Rams boss Clough felt his side could have done with greater quality and a bit more luck inside the Town box: “I thought in the first half they bossed it, had the majority of the play, but I thought we had the better situations but once again didn’t quite make the most of them - a few long range shots and things.

“I thought we got in some good positions but just couldn’t put one across the face of the goal. Having said that, I think the best first chance of the first half was Theo Robinson’s when Gareth Roberts crossed it, he just got a toe on it and it went just wide.

“That was the story of the day for us. We couldn’t get either a bit of luck or a bit of quality in the penalty area at the end.

“Plenty of corners, plenty of pressure in the second half, and once again when we got on the front foot and pressed them back - like we have done in recent weeks - the majority of the game was played in their half.

“We’re pleased with the clean sheet, we don’t have too many 0-0s here. That’s 41 games and it’s the first 0-0 at home all season, which isn’t bad.”

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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