Phillip Cocu was thrilled to see Derby County claimed a point against arch rivals Nottingham Forest, paying tribute to the ‘excellent’ counter-attacking skills of Sabri Lamouchi’s side in conservation with the Derby Telegraph.
With the in-form Rams under pressure to claim a result in the East Midlands derby at Pride Park on Saturday, Cocu would have known that the first goal would be crucial.
After all, it is not often that a tough and resilient Forest side throw away a lead these days.
And the Derby boss must have feared the worst once Joe Lolley cut inside onto his lethal left foot and drilled a long-range shot into Ben Hamer’s net early in the first half.
“The moment we conceded the goal, it will be much harder because they (Forest) are one of the best organised teams in the league; hard to beat, defence very solid, don’t give you space to play,” Cocu said after the game.
“You have to be aware when you lose ball possession because they have excellent counter attack. (That) was exactly what happened.
“Now we had to push to the 97th minute to score, and we were lucky that they missed one or two opportunities on the counter attack when we had to open up a little bit more to get an equaliser.”
Thanks to a dramatic Chris Martin strike in the dying seconds, after a rare mistake from the usually reliable Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba, a Wayne Rooney inspired Derby side are still in with a shout of a top six finish.
The Rams have been arguably the best team in the Championship since a Manchester United legend arrived in January – and they now sit seventh, just three points off Cardiff City.
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