Derby County head coach John Eustace praised his side’s fighting spirit after they battled from behind to earn a hard-fought point in a tightly contested 1–1 draw with Millwall at Pride Park.
The Rams were forced to dig deep after falling behind in the second half, but Eustace hailed the squad’s resilience, insisting their response under pressure was exactly what he wanted to see.
“The character the players showed was excellent,” Eustace said after the match. “We didn’t give up, we stayed organised, and we kept pushing right until the end. That mentality is something we can build on.”
Derby’s equaliser energised the stadium, and the home side pressed relentlessly for a late winner. The best chance came in the closing stages when substitute Rhian Brewster unleashed a powerful effort from distance, narrowly missing what would have been a dramatic winning goal.
Eustace admitted Derby were close to taking all three points but said he was encouraged by the team’s determination.
“We finished very strongly,” he added. “We could have snatched it at the end with Brewster’s strike, and that shows the belief and hunger in the group.”
The draw keeps Derby firmly in the mix as they look to build momentum in the coming weeks, with Eustace confident that performances like this will serve as a foundation for further improvement.