Derby County came from behind to beat Chesterfield in the League Cup on Tuesday night.
After falling to a 4-2 defeat on the opening day of the 2024/25 Championship season, Derby County were looking to bounce back in the League Cup.
The Derbyshire outfit are expected to be in a relegation battle this season and it is imperative they secure positive results where they can, with Tuesday’s game a great chance for them to do so.
Paul Warne and his squad faced off against familiar opponents in the first round of the competition.
Chesterfield beat Derby County 4-0 during the 2024 pre-season, and the Spireites were looking to cause another upset in midweek when they took the lead in the game at Pride Park.
Armando Dobra put the away outfit in front after 29 minutes of action before the Rams equalised through a spectacular Liam Thompson goal shortly before the break.
Summer signing Kayden Jackson then scored his first Derby goal midway through the second half.
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Derby County man impressed in Chesterfield win
There were a couple of players who caught the eye during Derby’s League Cup victory.
Jackson opening his account for the campaign was a positive, while young striker Dajaune Brown endured a mixed Derby outing, providing an assist but missing some key chances.
In truth, though, one man stood head and shoulders above the rest of the Rams’ eleven against Chesterfield.
Craig Forsyth was defensively solid throughout, ensuring that no issues were created down his side of the backline.
Following the match, Derbyshire Live journalist Leigh Curtis awarded the left-back a 7.5/10 player and offered a positive assessment of the player.
He wrote: “A fine return to the defence and barely put a foot wrong. So experienced and is like a fine wine. Seems to get better with age. 7.5”
The 35-year-old’s impressive outing was highlighted in the numbers as well. As per SofaScore, Forsyth won 83% of his duels, had 63 touches, completed the most tackles (four), made the most interceptions (two), and provided one key pass.
Craig Forsyth still has big role to play under Paul Warne at Derby County
Forsyth joined Derby from Watford on a permanent basis in the summer of 2013.
The now 35-year-old has since featured 341 times for the Rams over the years, playing a key role in several crucial campaigns for the club.
However, recent seasons have seen Warne push the defender out of the first-team picture somewhat.
Forsyth made 26 league appearances during Derby’s promotion-winning season, missing several games due to injury.
The ageing defender appeared to be on the outs in 2024/25 as well, coming on for just four minutes during the club’s loss to Blackburn last weekend.
However, with Derby clearly set to struggle defensively in the current campaign, Warne should now look to the veteran left-back to help sure up his backline as they fight to stave off relegation.
Forsyth is unlikely to be able to play a full 46-game season at his age, but Tuesday’s display shows it is clear he still has a big role to play at his long-time club.