Match ends, Derby County 1, Coventry City 1.
Tom Lawrence's second-half penalty saw Derby County come from behind against Coventry City to salvage an important point in their battle against relegation.
Derby fell behind after 28 minutes through a well-worked goal as Matt Godden exchanged passes with Callum O'Hare before rifling a shot across Ryan Allsop.
The Rams were handed a way back into the game on 66 minutes when talisman Lawrence fired home a penalty after being felled by Ben Sheaf.
Coventry's Viktor Gyokeres missed twice when through on goal and Derby's Louie Sibley hit the post with a late header in a frantic finale, but neither side could claim the win.
The shared points moved Derby slightly closer to safety, and Coventry to within five points of the play-offs, but it would have felt like an unsatisfying result for both.
Derby forced a succession of early corners which came to nothing, while at the other end they failed to clear a corner properly and Curtis Davies' header towards his own goal found its way to Godden, but the Coventry striker could not get enough on the strike to trouble Allsop.
Allsop's opposite number Simon Moore was then forced to tip Ravel Morrison's shot over the bar and save a Lawrence header, before the Rams saw a penalty appeal correctly waved away when Malcolm Ebiowei went to ground too easily following a good run into the box.
The Sky Blues opened the scoring on 28 minutes when Godden found O'Hare before excellently latching on to his return headed pass to fire into the corner of the net.
Derby came out with renewed vigour in the second half and were given the chance to equalise when Lawrence went down under Sheaf's challenge, when there appeared to be minimal contact.
Coventry's Gustavo Hamer was booked for his protests but Lawrence kept his composure with a fine spot-kick into the roof of the net, giving Moore no chance.
Substitute Gyokeres spurned two great chances to win the game for the Sky Blues, blazing over the bar when through on goal and then seeing a second chance saved well by Allsop's boot.
Lawrence and Ebiowei forced Moore into saves from free-kicks before Sibley hit the post with the last chance of the game as Derby moved to within five points of safety.
Derby manager Wayne Rooney:
"I thought the performance was very good, we certainly deserved a point, probably three but I think it's a big important point for us.
"I think the referee had to give us one penalty out of the three we should have had. I told the referee after the game 'that's not good enough', the one on Lee Buchanan is a clear penalty.
"The referee might walk in off the pitch and think 'I've done a good job, I've given a penalty which was a penalty' but, actually, there are two clear penalties which he's missed.
"I don't like sitting here and going on but when they are so clear it's frustrating."
Coventry manager Mark Robins:
"I thought we started off OK. We got on the front foot a little bit more after the first 10 or 15 minutes and switched the play which gave us a foothold and led to a really good goal.
"Getting to half-time at 1-0 was good knowing they've got fresh legs and have had a day more to recover which always makes a difference so coming into the second half was always a stretch.
"I think the penalty was harsh, I really do, I think it was a little bit searching for the leg. But then the penalty is a brilliant penalty, no keeper in the world is saving it.
"And then we had a chance to win the game but I think a point here, in the circumstances, is a good one."
Line-ups
Derby
Formation 4-3-3
- 31Allsop
- 2ByrneBooked at 57mins
- 33Davies
- 41CashinSubstituted forEboseleat 61'minutes
- 26Buchanan
- 8Bird
- 5Bielik
- 42ThompsonSubstituted forPlangeat 45'minutes
- 32Ebiowei
- 11MorrisonSubstituted forSibleyat 79'minutes
- 10Lawrence
Substitutes
- 3Forsyth
- 16Stearman
- 17Sibley
- 21Roos
- 36Ebosele
- 38Knight
- 48Plange
Coventry
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 1Moore
- 14Sheaf
- 15Hyam
- 3Clarke-SalterSubstituted forMaatsenat 13'minutes
- 23DaboBooked at 54mins
- 8Allen
- 38HamerBooked at 66mins
- 27BidwellBooked at 22mins
- 10O'HareSubstituted forWaghornat 70'minutes
- 26ShipleySubstituted forGyökeresat 64'minutes
- 24Godden
Substitutes
- 9Waghorn
- 13Wilson
- 17Gyökeres
- 18Maatsen
- 22Reid
- 30Tavares
- 36Howley
- Referee:
- Darren Bond
- Attendance:
- 24,264
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home54%
- Away46%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away6
- Corners
- Home7
- Away10
- Fouls
- Home4
- Away15
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, Derby County 1, Coventry City 1.
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Louie Sibley (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Gustavo Hamer (Coventry City).
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Offside, Derby County. Krystian Bielik tries a through ball, but Luke Plange is caught offside.
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Attempt blocked. Louie Sibley (Derby County) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Malcolm Ebiowei with a cross.
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Festy Ebosele (Derby County) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Dangerous play by Fankaty Dabo (Coventry City).
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Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Simon Moore.
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Attempt saved. Malcolm Ebiowei (Derby County) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
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Hand ball by Gustavo Hamer (Coventry City).
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Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Simon Moore.
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Attempt saved. Tom Lawrence (Derby County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
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Malcolm Ebiowei (Derby County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Ben Sheaf (Coventry City).
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Offside, Derby County. Max Bird tries a through ball, but Festy Ebosele is caught offside.
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Lee Buchanan (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Matt Godden (Coventry City).
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Attempt missed. Ian Maatsen (Coventry City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Jamie Allen.
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Attempt saved. Viktor Gyökeres (Coventry City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Matt Godden.
Comments
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Oh what a pity Reading got 3 points.
Bye bye Derby.
It's supposed to be one of the biggest league's in Europe but the officials are no better than Sunday league
Derby players spent the majority of game falling over I counted at least 5 dives by Derby players in the box but no yellow cards we had a 3 game ban for the same offence
The fa want to keep the philander up
As for city - they have had a great season but need to build in the summer if they have hopes of playoffs next year - finishing just not good enough