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Derby boss Frank Lampard felt that Tendayi Darikwa's challenge on Tom Lawrence was a penalty

Derby County were denied "the easiest penalty to give" in their goalless draw with Nottingham Forest, according to Rams boss Frank Lampard.

Referee Keith Stroud waved away appeals when home forward Tom Lawrence was chopped down by Tendayi Darikwa after taking a touch and trying to move around the defender in the box.

In a tense and physical East Midlands derby, the Rams were largely stifled by the Reds, while Joe Lolley went closest to winning it for Forest when his curling effort hit the bar late on.

"I think the most staunch Nottingham Forest fan in the far side of the stadium saw that was a penalty," Lampard said.

"The easiest penalty to give is when the striker gets a touch, clearly, the defender follows through, clearly, and catches them around the waist, clearly.

"The referee is on his own in his opinion that wasn't a penalty. That was an absolute penalty and a game changer.

"It is a fair result in general play, but that is a goal to win us the game."

Former England midfielder Lampard, whose side could have gone third in the table with victory, said the incident was not even worthy of using to debate the merits of introducing video assistant refereeing technology in the Championship.

"It is not a grey-area decision, not a VAR decider," he said. "I wouldn't even refer that to VAR.

"Guaranteed I'd be saying the same if it was the other way. I'd be saying we got away with one there."

Rams and Forest test promotion credentials

Nottingham Forest's Joe Lolley went closest to a winner when his shot hit the bar

The hard-fought draw at Pride Park lifted the Rams to fourth, and for a sixth successive season Derby find themselves in the play-off spots after 22 games.

As the first Monday meeting between the regional rivals for 20 years, the last of which was in the Premier League in 1998, there was a sense at Pride Park that this pre-Christmas instalment of the derby would serve as an audition of the top-flight credentials of both sides.

Forest, a reawakened force in the division this season under the management of Aitor Karanka and ownership of Evangelos Marinakis, have given fans reason for renewed optimism after collecting eight wins and amassing 35 points from their opening 22 games to sit just outside the play-off places.

Both sides fired early warning shots, Jayden Bogle testing Forest keeper Costel Pantilimon with a crisply hit volley from outside the box, while Reds striker Lewis Grabban was a lurking menace with a number of early sights of goal.

Derby were first to assert themselves with a period of sustained pressure, during which Darikwa felled Lawrence, while the stretching Tom Huddlestone could only poke over the bar at the far post from Richard Keogh's knock down.

Forest, however, were not all just stubborn resistance and Grabban was only denied his 15th league goal of the campaign by the fine reactions of Scott Carson.

The veteran Rams goalkeeper made another crucial stop after the break, tipping the ball over after Lolley cut in off the right just moments after Lawrence saw his fierce dipping shot flash wide at the other end.

Pantilimon had to be alert to keep out Harry Wilson's volley from inside the box, while all that denied Lolley the winner and the Reds maximum points with six minutes remaining was the woodwork.

Karanka not drawn on Rams penalty claims

Nottingham Forest boss Aitor Karanka:

"I don't know if it was a penalty. The referee was closer than me and if he made that decision it's because he felt it was the right decision.

"I think we approached the game well. The main thing today was for our crowd to come back home proud of the team, and I think they are doing.

"Games like today are good for us when we have been working just five months together. To compete against Derby face-to-face in their stadium is good for our improvement and especially for our confidence in the future."