Johnson Eager To Keep Pushing On

Bradley Johnson is eager to keep pushing on following a 'hard fought' point at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday afternoon against Sheffield Wednesday.

The midfielder scored the opening goal in the 1-1 draw against the Owls when he powered in a header inside the first ten minutes.

Wednesday pulled level to start the second-half through Dominic Iorfa with a close range header.

In the second of four consecutive home games, the Rams picked up a point after a 2-1 victory midweek against Wigan Athletic, while Sheffield Wednesday moved to nine games unbeaten in the league.

Johnson believes it was a good point against the in-form Owls under new manager Steve Bruce, however admitted that the Rams weren’t at their best.

Speaking to RamsTV following the game, Johnson said: “It was a hard-fought point for us. We felt that we weren’t at our best today, coming off the back of a great performance on Tuesday night against Wigan.

“We wanted to start bright today implement that into the game on the first-half here. I thought we started off slow, but we got the goal and just took off for the last little bit.

“I think Tuesday maybe had a bit of a bearing on our physical presence. Sheffield Wednesday are a good team, so it was a good point at the end of the day.”

It was the 31-year-old’s first goal for the Rams since Sheffield Wednesday last season and it came on his 100th league start for the club.

While he is proud of the personal achievement, Johnson was disappointed not to take all three points as the race for play-off places at the top of the table tightens.

Speaking of his goal he said: “I didn’t know it was coming to me, I don’t know who got the flick on at the near post.

“I was unlucky on Tuesday not to get a goal from another set piece. We have been working on them a lot this week and it was just coming to me at the back post and I guided it into the top corner.

“I felt that the longer the game went on the stronger we got. We had a few chances.

“I felt if there was another ten minutes we would have got another goal. It wasn’t to be today, and we take the point.”

He added: “That’s all that matters for us at this point in the season, we want to get the win and the three points.

“I am proud to make as many appearances I have for this club and to score on my 100th league appearance from the start was a good achievement for me, but today I wanted the three points and disappointed not to get them today.”

The point was enough to pull Derby back into the top-six, overtaking Bristol City and the Rams will have an opportunity to quickly build on that on Wednesday when they take on Stoke City on home turf.

“That’s where we want to be,” said Johnson. “If you asked us at the beginning of the season where we wanted to finish it would be in the automatics or the play-offs. We are there now and have another home game on Wednesday and we look forward to that and a chance to get more points on the board.

“Off the back of the run we were on before the Wigan game, it was vital for us to get the win then.

“We did that, and we have come again at home and put in a half-decent performance. We could have been better – we have got to do that on Wednesday night to hopefully get the three points.”