Earnshaw earns replay

Nigel Clough"s side dominated the early exchanges and Rob Hulse capitalised on the hosts" possession with a 36th minute strike, before a rejuvenated Forest equalised through Robert Earnshaw"s second half strike.

While much of the first half was tepid, the game exploded into life in the second as the visitors pressed for an equaliser, but it was the double-save by Forest keeper Paul Smith, which denied Derby from clinching victory late on.

Prior to kick off, the cameras were inevitably trained on Clough, while former Rams boss Billy Davies was unable to return to his old ground due to family matters, with his assistant David Kelly taking the reigns.

The home side dominated the early possession, with the majority of the play coming through their impressive right-sided combination of Paul Connolly and Nacer Barazite, while Forest were restricted to exploiting the pace of Nathan Tyson on the break.

One such counter-attack in the 12th minute petered out, after Earnshaw had bustled his way to the byline, before missing his cross; while earlier, an impeccably-timed challenge from Jordan Stewart denied Tyson inside the box.

At the other end, Hulse was deprived of a close-range finish by a sturdy challenge from Ian Breckin after Connolly's cross.

In the 25th minute, an electric turn of pace from Tyson outstripped Miles Addison down the left, but Earnshaw took one touch too many, and the chance is squandered.

But Barazite was at the forefront for Derby, and a smart swivel and shot from the edge of the Forest area brought a parried save by Smith, which was not to be the keeper's last stop.

Derby's pressure finally took its toll as Barazite and Connolly again combined effectively down the right, before a deft dummy by Paul Green inside the area left Hulse to dispatch his shot beyond Smith.

Forest assistant manager David Kelly must have delivered a rousing team-talk, as his side came out of the traps with renewed vigour after the break; Tyson streaked clear of Martin Albrechtsen's guard, and brought a smart stop from Bywater down low to his right.

The visitors cancelled their arrears in the 64th minute, after fine work from substitute Garath McCleary down the right found Tyson, whose dummy left Earnshaw to finish clinically past Bywater.

Further chances then ensued for both sides, the best falling to former Forest midfielder Kris Commons, who received an inevitably polarised reception when he was introduced, failing to hit the target with only Smith to beat in the 73rd minute.

Commons then attempted to atone for his mistake minutes later, by unleashing a fierce drive which Smith could only parry away unconvincingly.

The tackles continued to fly in as the tempo of the game was raised and tempers frayed, and Forest midfielder Paul Anderson was stretchered off with a suspected fracture-dislocation of his wrist in the 78th minute.

In the dying stages, two unbelievable saves in quick succession from Paul Smith denied Derby from grabbing a late winner, from point-blank range the keeper defied the powerful headers of first Hulse, then Varney, to the home side's disbelief.

The East Midlands rivals will now face each other in the fourth round replay on Wednesday, February 4, at the City Ground.