Derby County midfielder Graeme Shinnie was full of praise for his teammates as they came back to draw against high-flying Coventry City on Saturday. 

Derby ended Coventry's 100% home record this season as they claimed a point after Coventry dominated the first half against The Rams and were 1-0 up after Matt Godden's penalty.

Derby were without manager Wayne Rooney who was side-lined with illness but that didn't hinder them in the end, as they claimed a shared the spoils.

Despite being dominated in the first half, Derby improved after the break and the introduction of Colin Kazim-Richards changed the game in their favour. He hit the post shortly after coming on as the momentum turned the visitor's way.

Shinnie scored the equaliser in the 76th minute and his was full of praise for his teammates after the game.

Speaking to the official club website, he said: "It was a complete contrast in terms of the two halves today as in the first half we were miles off it on a team and personal level, but I must say Coventry to their credit were very good.

"It’s not been like us this season and it wasn’t good enough and we came in at half time 1-0, still in the game, and in the second half I felt it was total domination from us."

While Shinnie admitted his side weren't at the races in the first half, he also went onto say that they deserved the equaliser and were the only side that was looking like winning the game, as he added: “We deserved our goal and we looked like the only team that would go on and win it which is a positive and a sign of a good team when you don’t play that well in the first half, it’s key that you react.

“I felt our reaction in the second half was very good, we deserved a point and we were the only one that was going to go on and win it.”

The draw means Derby have now shared the points in their last four games and are just six point off safety, ahead of the visit of Blackburn Rovers to Pride Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Verdict

It was a gritty display at times from Derby. Coventry failed to turn their first half domination into another goal which would have certainly killed the game given Derby's scoring record.

However, like most games this season, Derby remained in the tie and kept fighting to the end.

It's an important mentality for The Rams given their situation and if they continue to show this side of their game, avoiding relegation will be a possibility.

Given the situation they find themselves in at the minute, that would undoubtedly be a remarkable achievement for Shinnie and his teammates.