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Comeback delights Clough

Image: Nigel Clough: Proud of his players' fight-back

Derby manager Nigel Clough hailed his side's character after they came from behind to beat Bristol City.

Rams boss hails home support and debutant Callum Ball

Derby manager Nigel Clough hailed his side's character after they came from behind to beat Bristol City and record a first win in eight Championship games. The Rams scored two goals in nine second-half minutes to turn another likely defeat into a much-needed three points with a 2-1 victory. Clough's men had fallen behind after Martyn Woolford compounded a dismal first-half showing by firing home early in the second period for his first goal in a City shirt. But Craig Bryson turned in from close range after a fine run from Jamie Ward, and the home fans were cheering again soon after when Callum Ball scored his first senior goal when his shot squirmed under David James. "We got in at 0-0 at half-time which is something we have failed to do in the last three home games," Clough said. "We went 1-0 down and then we showed a lot of character to come back. A lot of character. "The crowd were restless and you saw the reaction of everyone when we got that goal. "Once we got the goal, the crowd and everyone was up for the winner and it was nice when it came." Clough had special praise for 19-year-old match-winner Ball, who was introduced at half-time to replace the ineffective Tamas Priskin, and believes it bodes well for the future.

Ball praise

"Any young player to get their first goal is a big barrier, he has had a couple of half-chances and hopefully he will take it on from here," he added. "It was a tactical change to bring him on, we needed more presence up there and I thought Callum gave us that. He got hold of the ball and did it very well. "He's a natural goalscorer but he needs to develop with other sides of his game. "We've got three teenagers on the pitch at the end and it's lovely. They are there on merit, they're the future in the next two or three seasons. "That's where we have to prioritise as there won't be much money floating around so we will be reliant on them." Meanwhile, Bristol City manager Derek McInnes criticised his side for not going on to win after taking the lead. "We deserved to lose possibly through our own failings but not because Derby were better than us," he said. "Once we got ourselves in front we should have seen the game out. I thought we showed that quality for the goal and once we got ourselves in front we should have taken full advantage of that. "The goals came from nothing. We deserved it because I felt both the Derby goals, we failed to do our jobs properly."

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