Brennan Johnson late show earns Nottingham Forest draw at Derby

For 82 minutes, it appeared Chris Hughton’s job was in grave danger, as Nottingham Forest trailed to Tom Lawrence’s fine opener. But with one wallop of the right foot, the talented Brennan Johnson volleyed in an equaliser to get Forest’s season up and running at bitter rivals Derby to earn their first point of the campaign. “He’s one of our own,” the Forest supporters proudly boomed as the Forest players headed over to them at the final whistle.

The Forest supporters housed in a pocket of this ground were not quite so happy as the players headed down the tunnel at the break. Forest struggled to live with Derby’s tempo and while it was an early Philip Zinckernagel shot that drew the first gasps among a boisterous crowd, it was one-way traffic after Lawrence rifled a brilliant shot into the corner with 11 minutes gone.

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Johnson was always Forest’s outlet. The 20-year-old, recalled to the Wales squad this week, motored down the right flank, comfortably beating Curtis Davies for pace before dragging a shot wide a few minutes into the second half and inevitably it was Johnson who was there to feast on the leftovers when Derby passed up the opportunity to clear a deep Gaëtan Bong cross. The Derby goalkeeper Kelle Roos should have done better, too.

Derby would have increased their advantage with 15 minutes to go had Scott McKenna not got the faintest of touches on the substitute Jack Stretton’s goal-bound shot and Kamil Jozwiak also curled against the side netting. In the first half Ravel Morrison exhibited great chemistry with Lawrence, who forced Brice Samba into a fine save following a neat give-and-go.

Lawrence’s goal was a peach. Forest ran into trouble on the edge of the Derby box and the hosts turned over possession, cantering upfield. Derby shifted the ball from right to left and Craig Forsyth released Lawrence, who was played onside by Joe Worrall, with a delicious curling pass. Lawrence controlled a bouncing ball with his chest and then promptly leathered in at the near post with his next touch, before knee sliding in front of the delirious Derby support.

Forest will argue Forsyth should not have been on the pitch at that point. After five minutes the Derby defender appeared to stamp on Zinckernagel after a collision on halfway and Forest will, understandably, be aggrieved that flashpoint went unnoticed by the officials. Derby played on while the Forest midfielder was grounded and while that is permitted, it seems highly likely that correspondence from the Football Association detailing a violent conduct charge against Forsyth will be in Wayne Rooney’s in-tray on Monday morning.

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Lyle Taylor should have tested Roos after pouncing on an undercooked backpass by Phil Jagielka early in the first half and the substitute Lewis Grabban came agonisingly close an equaliser late in the second. Another substitute, Alex Mighten, left Nathan Byrne in a spin and sent a teasing cross, which Grabban nonchalantly flicked goalwards but Roos plunged low to his left to claw the ball to safety.

However Roos could not get anywhere near Johnson’s vicious strike a few minutes later. Derby failed to clear Bong’s cross and the ball dropped invitingly in the box for Johnson to smack home.