Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the East Midlands derby between Nottingham Forest and Derby County.

At the start of the season, both teams would have expected to be competing in the top 10 of the Championship standings, but unfortunate for Forest, only Derby are living up to their potential. After a run of eight games without a win, Forest enter this encounter with the relegation zone getting closer by the week and manager Dougie Freedman is aware that he cannot afford to suffer defeat against the club's bitter rivals.

It remains to be seen how much time Freedman would be given should Forest slump to defeat this evening, but with Forest only winning once in front of their home supporters all season, the pressure is on. As for Derby, they enter the match as the form team in the division and their fans would take great satisfaction from moving to the top of the league table if they can achieve three points tonight.

With just 20 minutes to go until kickoff, let's take a look at the two teams.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST XI: De Vries; Lichaj, Mills, Hobbs, Pinillos; Mendes, Lansbury, Williams, Vaughan, Ward; Oliveira

NOTTINGHAM FOREST SUBSTITUTES: Evtimov, Wilson, Trotter, Blackstock, C.Burke, Osborn, Walker

DERBY COUNTY XI: Carson; Christie, Keogh, Shackell, Warnock; Hendrick, Johnson, Thorne; Martin, Russell, Weimann

DERBY COUNTY SUBSTITUTES: Grant, Bryson, Bent, Baird, Butterfield, Pearce, Ince

Freedman has decided to hand immediate recalls to both David Vaughan and Henri Lansbury, who have recently been serving suspensions. As for Derby, Paul Clement has included George Thorne after he missed the win over Queens Park Rangers because of a one-match ban, while Andreas Weimann retains his place in the side ahead of Thomas Ince.

Another change for the Rams sees Stephen Warnock come in for Craig Forsyth, who has been ruled out for the season with a serious knee injury. It's a huge blow for both the player and club, but Clement will be relieved that he has experienced cover in the shape of Warnock, who will be making his seventh league appearance of the season tonight.

This was the scene around 25 minutes ago as Derby made their way out for the warm-up. They will be hoping to extend their unbeaten record to 11 games this evening, which would be some achievement given the competitive nature of English football's second tier.

One player who will be hoping to build on his recent goalscoring streak is Derby's Andreas Weimann. The Austrian has been limited to substitute appearances for much of the season but the former Aston Villa man has repaid the faith placed in him by his manager with a goal in each of the last two games after he was brought in to replace Thomas Ince. Ince is back in the squad now, though, so Weimann will know that he requires another good performance at the City Ground.

PREDICTION! As with any derby, pretty much any result is possible, but if we were to go with the form book, there should only be one winner. Forest owe their supporters a big performance, but Derby should relish the chance to take on their fierce rivals on opposition territory and we are backing them to run out 3-1 winners.

It's time for the two teams to make their way out onto the City Ground pitch to a cauldron of noise. I've got a feeling that this is going to be a cracker...

It will be Nottingham Forest to get us underway.

BOOKING! Talk about a referee making a statement. Jonathan Williams hits the deck inside the box without anyone touching him and the official is having none of it.

Aside from that dive, Forest have pretty much dominated possession without creating a clear chance. Oliveira had a brief sight of goal but his tame effort trickled wide of the post.

That's the start that Nottingham Forest would have been looking for! Nelson Oliveira looks to be going nowhere on the edge of the penalty area but he is able to unleash a left-footed strike that flies into the bottom corner from 18 yards. It took a slight deflection off Keogh but still, it was a superb effort.

Since the goal, Derby have managed to get their foot on the ball and deliver a couple of crosses in from the left to no avail. Decent response though. It was needed because the home fans are well into this.

SHOT! George Thorne has scored a couple of screamers during his career but he comes nowhere near adding another to his collection after blazing high and wide from 30 yards.

Forest have barely had a touch over the past five minutes, but fortunately for the home side, Derby aren't making the most of being in possession. An opening was created down the right for Christie to send a ball into the middle but he got his cross all wrong and it went out for a goal kick.

SAVE! We have still got tomorrow's and Sunday's fixtures to come but I think we have just seen the best save of the weekend. Ward linked up with Oliveira before curling a left-footed strike towards goal but Carson was able to tip the ball just past the post with his fingertips. It's kept Derby in the game.

Whether it's been because of dives, goals or super saves, it's been an absorbing opening 15 minutes. Told you this would be a cracker...

Warnock has found himself on the defensive for much of the match as Ward threatens to run riot down the right but the former England international just whipped in a delightful cross at the other end. Unfortunately for Derby, the ball evaded Martin, who has been anonymous so far.

Derby are placing a lot of emphasis on possession, but I'm not so sure that is the best approach to this derby fixture. Forest seem content to defend his numbers, presumably to give themselves a breather as they continue to go direct when on the offensive.

WOODWORK! What a strike from Jeff Hendrick! The ball fell invitingly to him on the edge of the box before he attempted to curl the ball into the far top corner from 20 yards, only to see the shot clip the top of the crossbar and go over. Unlucky.

That near miss has seen Hendrick's eyes light up every time he gets a shooting opportunity but with his next effort, he can only shoot straight into the stands. That will probably temper his expectations for the time being.

SHOT! There must be something in the air regarding long-range strikes tonight. It's Lansbury's turn to try to test Carson in the Rams goal but his rasping effort swerves no more than an inch past the post. He deserved more with that.

SAVE! Back up the other end, Johnny Russell cuts in from the right before shooting at goal from 20 yards. It's straight at De Vries though, who is able to punch clear.

SHOT! Everyone is trying their luck now. Quite literally. This time, it is Christie, who surges forward before drilling a right-footed attempt just wide of the far post. I think De Vries had it covered.

BOOKING! Never has a yellow card been more obvious. Russell surges forward only to be cynically fouled by Vaughan, who deservedly goes into the book. De Vries just about dealt with the resulting free kick.

I queried Derby's possession game earlier on, but it is starting to have an effect now. Forest are doing a lot of running, and they are probably hoping for the break to come sooner rather than later. Still eight minutes to go though...

Derby work the ball down the left to give Warnock the chance to cross, but Williams gets back to make the intervention before he can deliver the ball into the box. A Forest player then commits a foul from the resulting corner.

CHANCE! Scott Carson, you lucky, lucky boy. The Derby goalkeeper attempts to take the ball around an attacker but he rushes his clearance straight to Ward who, from the right touchline, fails to hit the target despite Carson still chasing back to his goal. A let off.

There will be two minutes of added-on time. Derby are still pressing but it's looking like the score will remain the same heading into the break.

The half-time whistle goes at the City Ground and Forest have managed to hold onto the early lead given to them by Nelson Oliveira's 18-yard strike. Derby have had the better of the play and chances, but they have plenty of work to do if they are to get back into this.

Derby had 69% possession during that first half - I expected it to be slightly more. Nevertheless, they have almost had total control of the ball and they will feel hard done by having gone into the break facing a deficit. Both teams have had eight shots apiece, but only three of them have hit the target.

Despite Derby having a lot of the ball in the final third, we are yet to see anything from Chris Martin or Andreas Weimann. Is tonight the night for Thomas Ince and Darren Bent to contribute off the bench?

The two teams have finally made their way back out. I think Derby probably required a minute or two extra rest. It's Derby who get us back underway.

It takes Forest over a minute to touch the ball after the restart. More of the same from Derby then!

There hasn't been a sniff of a chance in these opening four minutes of the second half. Christie had one opportunity to cross from the right but he was always second best to the defender.

SHOT! The ball is going back and forth with neither side able to create a chance until Oliveira attempts to break the tension with a curling effort from 20 yards. He can only fire a couple of yards wide of goal though, and Carson had it covered anyway.

SHOT! Just like his teammate, Mendes tried to find the far corner with the inside of his boot. It's a terrible attempt, however, much to the frustration of Williams, who had done well to get the ball to the winger.

This feels very much like the calm before the storm. There's not a whole lot happening in any area of the pitch. Time for a change from either Freedman or Clement?

SHOT! A well-constructed move ends with Bradley Johnson curling the ball harmlessly over the crossbar from 25 yards. That was never going to beat the goalkeeper. Time for that change...

SUBSTITUTION! It is Freedman who has moved first, introducing Osborn for Ward, whose impact against his former club has tailed off.

A floated free kick into the box ends with Hobbs heading tamely into the hands of Carson. That's as exciting as it has got for 10 minutes. Maybe Thomas Ince can change that...

SUBSTITUTION! Ince is on for Hendrick, who might feel a little hard done by having been brought off with 25 minutes to go.

CHANCE! Pinillos powers into the Derby penalty area, shrugging off the attentions of about four Rams players in the process, but despite a fine ball across the six-yard area, Mendes cannot provide the finishing tough at the back post after being eased out by a defender.

SHOT! A foul by Lansbury hands Derby a free kick from around 25 yards out, giving Martin the chance to get a shot in on goal. He has done nothing all match, and that continues here, with his set piece flying over the bar.

Derby haven't lost a game since suffering defeat to Leeds United at the end of August, a run stretching over two months. That's going to change unless they can find something extra inside the penalty area in the next 18 minutes plus injury time. Forest look comfortable right now.

Into the final 15 minutes we go and Forest have started to put most of their players behind the ball. That said, they are still breaking in numbers too, and it doesn't look like sitting back for the remainder of the game.

SUBSTITUTION! Darren Bent has been thrown on in an attempt to help his side find an equaliser. He has been under-used of late so it will be interesting to see what his match sharpness is like.

Derby enjoyed a lengthy spell of possession but after that comes to nothing, Forest break through substitute Trotter, who plays the ball to Oliveira, who in turns wins a foul to eat up a few more seconds.

Forest work a chance for Mendes on the right-hand side of the box, but Shackell nips in with the final touch as Carson gets a leg in the way to prevent the ball going into the far corner. Good stuff from the home side though.

Chants of "Ole" from the Forest fans. It might be a bit early for that! Derby win the ball back and Ince crosses into the box for Bent, but his glancing header is easily saved by De Vries. That was his first bit of work in this half.

SUBSTITUTION! Freedman makes his final change, bringing on Dexter Blackstock for Oliveira, who has been lively all match. As it stands, he is going into East Midlands derby folklore for scoring the winning goal in this match.

There will be four minutes of added-on time.

Forest had two opportunities to waste a little bit more time down the left but they give the ball away. Two minutes to go.

The final whistle goes at the City Ground and Forest have held on, rather comfortably, to earn a 1-0 victory over arch rivals Derby County, who suffer their first defeat in 11 games. Nelson Oliveira netted the decisive goal as early as the fifth minute, and his strike has arguably saved the job of his manager, who would have been on the brink had Forest lost this evening.

The win sees Forest move to 15th in the table, while Derby remain in fifth. A win tonight would have taken them top. Fine margins.

That will be all from Sports Mole for this match. Thank you for joining us this evening, and we hope that you can return for all of the action that is taking place during the weekend. Goodbye for now.