Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock saluted Joe Lumley after the goalkeeper bounced back with a top performance at Derby.
Lumley was at fault for a goal in the midweek defeat to QPR but responded with a faultless display in the goalless draw at Pride Park.
He made several top saves to deny a spirited Derby team who more than matched Middlesbrough from the start.
Uche Ikpeazu had the first chance in the 24th minute when a free-kick found him just outside the six-yard box but his shot struck the legs of Derby goalkeeper Kelle Roos.
Lumley was called into action to turn behind a Max Bird free-kick in the 31st minute before denying the midfielder minutes later.
He made his best save in the 55th minute when he dived to push away a Louie Sibley shot but Roos also did well to parry Jonny Howson’s header in the 63rd minute.
Middlesbrough almost won it in the 84th minute when Marc Bola swung in a cross and Matt Crooks headed against the top of the bar but Warnock recognised the performance of Lumley.
“I’ll have to leave him out against QPR away,” Warnock joked. “I said to him, ‘you won us a point today, Joe.’
“A goalie’s got to get us 10 to 15 points, when you look at (Peter) Shilton at Forest and people like (Ray) Clemence, 15 to 20 points they won.
“That’s a good point for us today in the end, I’m disappointed we didn’t win it but if it hadn’t been for Joe in the first half we might have lost it.
“I saw him in the hotel and said ‘don’t beat yourself up about QPR, you were rubbish but just get on with it!’. He smiled but he’s a good keeper and no one would have been more disappointed than him last week.”
Warnock felt Derby defender Phil Jagielka was lucky to stay on the pitch after the veteran centre-back was booked for a second-half foul on Howson.
“I thought it should have been a straight red,” he said. “When you look at it it’s horrific, how he’s not broke his leg in two or three places I don’t know. He’s got stud marks down his leg but luckily he said he saw it coming, so he made a movement away.”
Derby manager Wayne Rooney felt the 39-year-old Jagielka and 36-year-old Curtis Davies were “excellent” at the back and was pleased with his team’s overall performance.
However, he wants them to start taking more of the chances they create.
He said: “First half, I thought we were very good and made it very difficult for them to put any pressure on us.
“We created some good chances, we have to be more clinical, we know that, we have to take more than what we are.
“Second half we got dragged into their game but the lads stood firm and didn’t allow themselves to be bullied and we came out with a point, I think maybe last season we lose that game.”
He added of his hugely experienced defenders: “I think he (Jagielka) has been brilliant, that’s the reason I wanted him in.
“I’ve played with him and know him as a player. He’s very experienced and puts himself in the right positions, his timing is very good and I thought him and Curtis were excellent.
“I think as a team we defended well and didn’t really give them that many clear chances and when we did Kelle Roos made a couple of good saves.”
