Derby County made it eight games unbeaten on the road but they couldn’t find a winner as Hull City held Gary Rowett’s side to a goalless draw at the KCOM Stadium.
Clear cut opportunities were at a premium but Hull will probably feel that they should have taken all three points, with Michael Hector’s miss the most glaring.
Derby have made a habit of fast starts this season and David Nugent tested Alan McGregor with just 25 seconds on the clock after some good build up from Andreas Weimann and Matej Vydra.
The hosts should have gone in front with eight minutes gone when Kamil Grosicki collected a loose ball and found Jon Toral with a cross, but the Spaniard directed his header inches wide of the target.
Chances were few and far between for the rest of the half, but Weimann went closest when he connected with Chris Baird’s pin-point cross, but the Austrian’s header was well kept out by McGregor.
Toral spurned another glorious opportunity just after the break, as he collected a neat backheel from Jackson Irvine before firing well over the crossbar with only Scott Carson to beat.
Carson was tested on the hour mark when Grosicki was released down the left-hand side, with the Derby ‘keeper standing up well to palm away the Poland international’s lob.
The Rams’ goal was living a charmed life in the second half and substitute Jarrod Bowen was next to create an opening, but Hector couldn’t make contact at the back post when it looked easier to score.
Derby were looking to play on the counter-attack and it almost paid off, with Weimann charging forward before playing in Nugent, whose first-time shot was saved well at the near post.
In the end, neither side could find a breakthrough, although Derby had the positive of a fifth successive clean sheet.
Hull City: McGregor; Tomori, Dawson, Hector, Aina; Toral (Bowen, 63’), Stewart, Larsson, Grosicki (Henriksen, 94’); Irvine; Dicko (Diomande, 85’).
Substitutes not used: Marshall, Clackstone, Clark, Batty.
Derby County: Carson; Baird, Keogh, Davies, Forsyth; Huddlestone, Ledley (Russell, 82’); Weimann, Vydra (Thorne, 65’), Johnson (Lawrence, 57’); Nugent.
Substitutes not used: Mitchell, Wisdom, Winnall, Martin.
Grosicki battled well with Baird throughout and the one time that the Hull winger got away from his marker, Carson had to be at his best to keep him out.
The Pole went for a chipped finish but Carson showed his experience, standing tall to keep the scores level.
Nugent worked tirelessly once again, closing down the Hull backline as well as making vital runs into the channels.
He also had Derby’s two best opportunities, with an angled drive inside a minute, before he forced another save from McGregor late on.
The festive schedule continues on Saturday (30th December) as Derby travel to Portman Road to take on Ipswich Town, before Sheffield United are the visitors to Pride Park Stadium on New Year’s Day.
