Mark Bonner: Cambridge United boss thrilled with 'massive point' at Derby

George Thomas heads the ball away from the Cambridge box against Derby

Cambridge boss Mark Bonner says the draw at Derby was one of the hardest clean sheets they have earned.

The U's have not beaten Derby in a league game since 1980 but clung on for a point at Pride Park.

Having only just avoided relegation last season, Cambridge are 13th ahead of Tuesday's home game with Barnsley.

"They are a top team who'll be right there throughout the year. The momentum you have to defend against is huge," Bonner told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"They were very dominant and we found it very difficult but you get your reward for defending your box enough times."

Cambridge had kept the opposition scoreless in four previous games this season but he continued: "That's the hardest we've had to work for a clean sheet... it's massive point."

Since their win at Derby almost 43 years ago, Cambridge's sole victory over the Rams in 18 subsequent matches came in a League Cup tie in 1989.

The two sides have taken the same number of points - 14 - from their opening nine games, but Bonner said his players had to "work their socks off" to compete and the table was an "absolute irrelevance" at the moment.

"They are so good in one v one situations, the pitch is huge, it makes it really hard," he added.

"There's a fairly big difference between Cambridge and Derby at the moment, we're trying to close the gap."

The U's only had one shot on target in the game but Bonner had no complaints about the efforts of forwards Fejiri Okenabirhie and Jack Lankester.

"They lock you in really well, press incredibly well and they're so aggressive round midfield - anything that dropped in midfield, the boy (Tyrese) Fornah was just pinching it off Jack and Fe," he added.

"Such a hard job for a 9 and 10 in that game because you're without the ball so much and you're so deep in the pitch, it's really hard to get attacking moments.

"It was a tough shift for them - I said it to them when they came off - and a tough game for all the attacking players because a lot of the game was played in our box and in our half.

"Sometimes you're not chasing that game, you're holding it really to try and stay in it. You might play for a moment and get the best smash and grab in the history of football but in the end, we had to defend and see lots of moments out."