Victory in September was one of Clough's best days as manager
NIGEL Clough ranks Derby County's memorable victory against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground earlier this season as one of the best days in his three years as Rams manager.
Derby defied the odds to record a 2-1 victory after they had found themselves one down and reduced to 10 men in the opening minutes of the Championship clash in September.
Goalkeeper Frank Fielding was sent off and Andy Reid converted the early penalty before the Rams hit back with goals from Jamie Ward and Jeff Hendrick.
Looking back, Clough said: "Coming on the back of our 5-2 defeat there and given the circumstances, it was very special.
"I don't think anybody gave us any chance of winning the game after those first few minutes.
"People probably thought we would lose by three or four but we came back to win and it was no fluke.
"The sense of achievement was massive because you do not win many games with 10 men, especially when you have to play with 10 men for virtually the whole game.
"Results like that only sink in later.
"Straight after the game, your head is all over the place and everybody is celebrating, but when you sit down at home with a beer two or three hours later you then think 'that was pretty special'."
Forest's 1-0 victory last season was their first at Derby in nine visits.
The two clubs have met 45 times in matches at Derby, of which the Rams have won 18 and Forest 16.
5 Comments
by elssuperram
Friday, February 03 2012, 12:50PM
“I have to admit its probably one of the best moments this season for me, chills down my spine when we scored second!!!!”
by ibelieveido
Friday, February 03 2012, 12:13PM
“UUN ...i just had a touch of ''THE VAPOURS''...
is somebody posting in your stead ???
Or have you just come off the tablets ???
Either way ...keep it up .
wahooooooooooo,uun's converted ,uun's converted ,uun's converted...
lovely jubbly.”
by UsedUserName
Friday, February 03 2012, 11:33AM
“I think the very best thing about was the massive swing in mood that day; you arrive with massive optimism, then rage against the original decision to send Frankie off, that sinking feeling as Fat Boy scored the penalty and the familiar sensation of impending doom as you realise what is now likely to happen... to go on and win, and win convincingly, playing them off the park in the process, was indescribable!
It was a shame we'd arranged to stay and have a few beers in Nottingham afterwards because I'll bet the train home was phenomenal, and we had to be discrete given the dour faces of everyone else in the pubs, but what a match!
A massive thrashing this weekend would be great, adding to their worst GD in the division and sorting out our own negative, but I'd take a scrappy one-nil right now if anyone's offering..?”
by PeteDerby1
Friday, February 03 2012, 9:15AM
“As I think I might have posted at the time, the most potent memory I associate with that victory was the very next morning.
After that 'special' victory over your rivals you might have expected a manager of a Championship club to be either nursing a hangover or lording it up on TV.
Where was Nigel? Running the line on our local park for one of the kids teams; quietly supporting the local grass roots of the game by doing that most basic of tasks that nobody else wants to do on a Sunday morning.
Brilliant in my book.”
by AdKempy
Friday, February 03 2012, 8:17AM
“"when you sit down at home with a beer two or three hours later you then think 'that was pretty special'
Amen Nigel...”