Nottingham Forest had to come from behind to draw 1-1 with Derby County in a stop-start East Midlands derby at the City Ground.
The Reds entered the game unbeaten against their local rivals at home in eight matches, a run stretching back to September 2012.
Forest went behind midway through the first half, but the Reds worked hard to continue their unbeaten run against the Rams.
Martyn Waghorn’s excellent freekick on 30 minutes sent the visitors into half-time ahead, but Lyle Taylor scored midway through the second half to level the scores.
Kamil Jozwiak thought he had found his side a winner 15 minutes before the end, but the officials ruled out the forward’s strike for offside.
Neither side were able to find a winning goal and shared the points in the first East Midlands derby played behind closed doors.
Forest boss Chris Hughton made two changes to the team that had won 1-0 at Blackburn Rovers and drew 1-1 with Rotherham in midweek.
Lyle Taylor made his first full appearance of the season as he paired Lewis Grabban in an attacking pair.
Harry Arter and Forest academy graduate Ryan Yates filled central midfield, while Sammy Ameobi and Joe Lolley occupied the flanks.
The defensive line of Cyrus Christie, Tobias Figueiredo, Scott McKenna and Nicholas Ioannou was unchanged.
Lyle Taylor had the first chance to open the scoring in a virtually empty stadium. Christie’s overlapping run behind Joe Lolley allowed a low cross into the penalty area, but Taylor’s fizzing effort was smartly turned round the post by Rams ‘keeper David Marshall.
Derby had claims for a penalty waved away by referee Tony Harrington on nine minutes when Tom Lawrence crashed to the ground under pressure – it would have been a soft spot-kick to award.
Christie became the first player to enter the book, on 19 minutes, for a foul on Jason Knight.
After a bright opening 20 minutes, Forest soon found themselves resorting for long balls forward.
The Reds, playing aganst a five-man defensive line, found Derby County difficult to break down and were forced to look further forward than Yates and Arter in midfield.
Forest’s frustrations could have materialised in a Derby goal on 28 minutes.
Having failed to clear their lines properly, Graeme Shinnie sent an excellently struck shot flying towards the top right corner – Brice Samba’s out-stretched arm denied the Rams an opener.
The visitors did not have to wait long before scoring as, two minutes later, Waghorn’s expertly placed freekick nestled in the top corner with the assistance of the crossbar.
And it could soon have gone from bad to worse for Forest when Shinnie found space inside the area. Fortunately, his final product lacked tenacity and was saved comfortably just before half-time.
Chris Hughton looked to shake things up in the second half, introducing Anthony Knockaert for Grabban as Forest returned to a familiar 4-2-3-1 set-up.
Forest started the second half slowly, struggling to create anything despite Knockaert’s ability out wide.
The winger had claims for a spot kick when he danced his way into the penalty area and went down under a challenge, but they were waved away.
But Forest soon had the scores level.
Ameobi had his head in his hands when he had a great chance saved on 63 minutes, but the winger joined his team-mates to celebrate a minute when the subsequent corner was bundled home by the highly alert Taylor.
The goal immediately lit up the tie as both side’s went in search of a second goal.
Kamil Jozwiak thought he had scored when he bundled home a cross from Lawrence, but the forward’s finish was ruled out as Waghorn was in an offside position.
Lee Buchanan had another effort for the visitors, striking from 35 yards, but Samba scrambled across his line to spare any blushes in the final ten minutes.
The Reds continued to search for a goal as the game entered three minutes of stoppage time, but they were forced to take a share of the points with their nearest rivals.
Nottingham Forest: Samba, Christie, Figueiredo, McKenna, Ioannou, Ameobi, Yates, Arter, Lolley, Grabban (Knockaert, 46), Taylor.
Unused Subs: Smith, Mbe Soh, Freeman, Jenkinson, Mighten, Sow.
By Matt Lee
Lead Image: Matt Lee