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Oliveira strikes to give his manager breathing space

Goals are at a premium for Forest, whilst their East Midlands rivals are scoring for fun and bang on form.

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Cardiff loanee Doyle struck in just the second minute on Tuesday night before North End stood firm to record a fifth straight clean sheet that ensured they leapfrogged Forest in the Sky Bet Championship table with a 1-0 success.

But the always-heated rivalry between the clubs boiled over at full-time.

Several managers have been appointed in recent years to have a crack at taking Forest back into the top flight with Freedman being the club’s seventh permanent manager since 2011.

It has given added credibility to speculation suggesting Nigel Clough has been sounded out about following his father, Brian, in becoming Forest manager having previously been in charge at Derby. He was then patient before shifting the ball onto his left foot, shooting on the turn to send a low shot past Carson.

But, in derbies the form book goes out of the window and those Forest fears were soon eased as the Reds took a five-minute lead, when Oliveira’s 18-yard effort beat Scott Carson.

However, they do welcome back captain Henri Lansbury and midfielder David Vaughan after their suspensions.

The balance of first-half possession was 70-30 in favour of Derby and the pattern continued after the break.

Rams forward Jeff Hendrick soon went close as his curling effort hit the upright and Forest had a goal disallowed before the half-hour mark, when Matt Mills headed home from a corner, but referee Simon Hooper saw a few pushing in the penalty area.

Goalkeeper Dorus de Vries (back) and winger Ryan Mendes (groin) were both ruled out on the day of the game against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday while right-back Eric Lichaj was rested at Hillsborough as a precaution after suffering a knock.

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Derby County (4-1-2-3): Carson; Christie, Keogh, Shackell, Warnock; Thorne; Johnson, Hendrick (Ince, 65); Weimann (Bent, 80), Martin, Russell (Butterfield, 73). Substitutes not used: Grant (gk), Bryson, Baird, Pearce.

Mel Morris