Ben Watson has admitted that he and his Nottingham Forest teammates are looking to dent Derby County’s promotion push, when the fierce rivals meet in the Sky Bet Championship tomorrow afternoon.

Forest, who enter the weekend sitting 15th, are on a steady run of form, having put together a five-match unbeaten run, which has helped to significantly lift the mood around the City Ground.

On the other hand, their rivals Derby are faltering in the race for promotion, with the Rams without a victory in six, which has seen them slip nine points adrift of second in the race for the second automatic promotion place.

Speaking to the Nottingham Post ahead of tomorrow’s eagerly anticipated derby, Watson was quick to discuss the possibility of dealing Derby’s promotion push another blow, he said:

“We want to win the game, we want to continue our run and it is not just about the players, is it?

“It is about everyone. It is about the fans, about the city, about the staff here at the stadium and the training ground. It matters to the whole club.

“If you asked anyone involved at Forest if they would like to dent Derby’s promotion push, everyone would say yes. I am no different.”

Watson has skippered Forest in recent weeks, guiding them to victories over Queens Park Rangers and Birmingham City, before a winning run was ended by a goalless draw with Norwich City on Tuesday evening.

Aitor Karanka’s side are beginning to show signs of improvement in recent weeks, but a late surge for the play-offs isn’t likely, with Forest looking set for a mid-table finish.

The Verdict

Forest have nothing to play for between now and the end of the season, with relegation unlikely and Karanka’s side leaving themselves too much to do in the race for the play-offs.

However, they will want a positive result against Derby this weekend and Watson’s comments indicate that his teammates will be fired up for the derby.

Victory this weekend will be another huge step in the right direction for Karanka’s Forest.

Nottingham Forest fans… Let us know your thoughts!