COLIN KAZIM-RICHARDS struck an 84th-minute equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw for Derby against local rivals Nottingham Forest.
On-loan teenage Manchester United midfielder James Garner had earlier scored his maiden league goal to give Chris Hughton’s side a first-half lead.
That goal had looked set to give Forest victory, only for former Turkey striker Kazim-Richards to fire home near the end to earn the home side a share of the spoils in the East Midlands derby at Pride Park.
But, while Derby boss Wayne Rooney will have been grateful for his 34-year-old striker’s late leveller, the Rams have now failed to defeat Forest in eight meetings – their longest winless sequence in a derby clash that was first contested in 1882.
A cagey start by both teams meant 17 minutes had elapsed before the game’s first goal attempt.
It was barely worth the wait either as Forest midfielder Luke Freeman’s scuffed effort from the edge of the box, following Anthony Knockaert’s free-kick, deflected well wide off team-mate Glenn Murray.
Lee Buchanan’s 20-yard shot was equally as tame as Derby’s first chance of the night was routinely gathered by visiting keeper Brice Samba.
Samba was greater extended moments later, however, when he dived low to his left to parry Graeme Shinnie’s powerful strike.
Yuri Ribeiro then blocked Kamil Jozwiak’s goal-bound, follow-up effort and survived strong shouts for handball from the home bench.
It was Forest that made the breakthrough, however, after 34 minutes when Ribeiro hooked the ball into the Rams’ box and skipper Joe Worrall headed down for Garner to squeeze a 15-yard drive inside David Marshall’s left-hand upright.
Not long after the goal, Martyn Waghorn aimed a kick at Cafu, but referee Oliver Langford decided against any form of punishment for the home attacker.
Marshall, who should have made a much better fist at saving Garner’s goal, was substituted just before half-time having picked up an injury and his replacement Kelle Roos went on to fumble another Garner strike, but just recovered in time to grab the loose ball as Murray threatened to pounce.
After the break, the confident Garner spotted Roos out of his goal from a free-kick close to the halfway line but his audacious lob drifted wide.
At the other end, Kazim-Richards strode clear through the right channel but his shot across goal rolled narrowly wide and, shortly afterwards, team-mate Jason Knight could not direct his header under the crossbar after Matt Clarke had met Shinnie’s ball into the box.
Garner then headed straight into Roos’ hands from a Cyrus Christie cross just past the hour mark and a 20-yard Freeman opportunity was deflected away from goal as Forest pushed for a second goal.
A dangerous pass across his own penalty area by Buchanan was also seized upon by Freeman, but he drove over from 15 yards and a weak Tobias Figueiredo header failed to extend Roos.
Derby then punished the visitors when Kazim-Richards ran on to Lee Gregory’s forward ball and capitalised fully on a couple of favourable ricochets against Forest defenders, while ignoring handball appeals, before blasting a thumping half-volley from the edge of the box into Samba’s top-left corner.
It was only the second goal Hughton’s men have conceded in six outings and both sides might have gone on to secure maximum points, with Knockaert heading off target and Gregory dragging a free shot on goal wide from 15 yards.
