The Rams bashed, crashed and smashed the Tykes defence but they stood firm enough to record their 5th consecutive draw - while the Rams' point was enough to put them equal top of the league.

7:45pm - Tuesday 27th September

 

Referee: N. Miller

Crowd:

 23,454 (818 Travelling Tykes)

Teams:

Derby:

 Fielding, Brayford, O'Brien, Shackell, Roberts (Anderson 16), B Davies, Hendrick, Bryson, Ward, S Davies, Robinson (Cywka 90).

Unused Substitutes: Legzdins, Maguire, Croft.

Yellow Cards: Robinson

Goals: S.Davies (62’ - Pen)

Barnsley:

Steele, Hassell, McEveley (Wiseman 38), Foster, O'Brien, Perkins (Digby 34), McNulty, Vaz Te (Rose 77), Butterfield, Drinkwater, Gray.

Unused Substitutes: Preece, Clarke.

Yellow Cards: Drinkwater

Goals: Butterfield (35)

Match Stats: Derby - Barnsley

Goals: 1-1

Possession: 57% - 43%

Shots On Target: 14 - 8

Shots Off Target: 12 - 6

Corners: 13 - 3

Fouls: 6 - 8

Most Fouls: Robinson (2) - Drinkwater (2)

I. Saw’s Match Report:

For forty five minutes at Pride Park last night Derby were absolutely awesome, creating chance after chance, hitting the bar, balls cleared off the line, gilt edged opportunities tarnished by poor finishing.

To emerge then with a single point was a travesty.

Well almost.

Credit is due to Barnsley who approached this game with confidence, they came with a game plan, swift slick passing, movement off the ball, and they troubled the Rams.

Had Jay McEveley’s free kicks been half decent we might have been worried.

It took more than that to worry us; it took Gareth Roberts going off injured to be replaced by Russell Anderson, which really worried us.

Anderson failed to address the danger he allowed the ball to bounce in the penalty area, an attacker centred and Jacob Butterfield slotted home.

It was hardly rough justice, Barnsley had bossed the early stages their four man midfield too fluent to handle. The loss of McEveley and Perkins for the Tykes however slow the Yorkshire men down and Derby finished the first half on top.

A bewildering transformation akin to watching a rely race where Trevor Christie had completed the first leg and Linford Christie had then picked up the baton for the second.

Derby buzzed, Theo Robinson found his Forest form, Steven Davies woke up and the whole team dominated.

Ben Davies raced, err ambled, his way into the box then tumbled under a daddy long leg challenge to win a penalty.

The other Davies fired the ball under Luke Steele in the visitor’s goal and the Rams were level.

Cue the onslaught, cue the crossbar challenge, and cue everything including the kitchen sink being thrown at Barnsley. Cue Luke Steele and some fantastic saves.

Cue the final whistle.

A draw!

Coming away having watched one of the best forty five minutes of the season, we’re happy. We played better than we did against Millwall, Barnsley are a far better side than the Lions.

A point is by no means a disappointment when you consider the way we played.

The disappointment is the continued lack of depth of squad which will be tested even further on Saturday if we lose Roberts.

Manager’s Reaction:

Nigel Clough was pleased with his teams endeavour when speaking to the official site after the match:

"We dominated the second half and the level of performance was brilliant. We combined our quality of play with the spirit, energy and work rate of the first eight games of the season, and I thought the players gave us absolutely everything.”

"We had a tough game on Saturday against Millwall so the players have really blown us away with the amount of effort they are putting in and what they are producing on the ball.”

"I don't think you can ask for any more from the players other than maybe putting a few more of our chances away.”

"There was a real vibrancy and energy about the team and despite the six-game winning run at home last season that earned a lot of plaudits; I think we have taken it to a different level and we can't praise the players enough."

"Going in at 1-0 down at half-time, I thought the crowd lifted us in the second half and in turn we lifted them, they were up for it and the atmosphere was as good as it has been for some time at Pride Park."

"Barnsley kept the ball well and I think it is a big positive that we created so many chances against a very good Championship side. We were punished for one error in defence to go a goal behind, but we showed a very positive reaction and we deserved to be level through Steven Davies' penalty.”

"On another night it might have been a 4-1/5-1 victory but it wasn't to be and in some ways it is two points dropped because of how well we played. We just want to put a similar performance in at Leicester on Saturday evening.”

"Sometimes you don't get what you deserve and maybe at the King Power Stadium we might not play as well and come away with a win."

Next Match:

Leicester vs. Derby

5:20pm – Saturday October 1st

Photo: Action Images

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