John Eustace praised his Derby County players for not wilting under the pressure as they ended their pointless start to the season by earning a 1-1 draw with Bristol City.

Derby looked to be on course for a third straight defeat to open their Championship campaign on Friday, as Scott Twine gave Bristol City a 35th-minute lead.

Twine scored his third goal of the season with a cool side-footed finish, as the Robins got their reward for a positive first-half performance.

However, Derby improved after the interval and got back on terms in the 86th minute, with Carlton Morris pouncing for a tap-in after Radek Vitek clawed Joe Ward’s header away.

The Rams only had three shots in the second half but bettered Bristol City’s tally of 0.24 expected goals with a figure of 0.32, having only managed 0.15 xG in the first 45 minutes.

Derby also improved their possession share from 44.6% in the first half to 60.7% in the second period, prompting Eustace to highlight their application.

“We’re very proud of the effort of the group to keep going in the way we did. There’s big pressure at home when you’ve lost two in a row,” Eustace told BBC Radio Derby.

“The way the lads carried on and went about their business was really pleasing. The goal really knocked the stuffing out of us on the back of two defeats.

“At home, when you go 1-0 down it can get a bit nervy, but the lads got together at half-time, and after a few little tweaks, we finished the second half much better. We were a much better team.

“There were some difficult times in that second half to keep going and do what we wanted to do, but in the end, we got our reward.”

Derby have one point from three matches following losses to Stoke City (3-1) and Derby County (5-3), while Gerhard Struber’s Bristol City have five points on the board.