Cheltenham Town earnt a hard fought point in a 1-1 draw against Derby County at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium.
Rob Street netted the Robins first goal of the season in the first half with a poacher’s finish in the six-yard box.
His goal was cancelled out by Curtis Nelson’s header as Darrell Clarke picked up his first point in charge.
“That’s a massive monkey off our back getting that goal,” said Clarke after the game.
“It gives everyone a lift and against an experienced Derby team the lads have given me everything.
“It was backs against walls in spells but then we had spells ourselves and it was a fully committed performance.”
Martyn Waghorn fired an early warning shot from the visitors in the first minute before Will Goodwin was alert to clear an effort from Eiran Cashin off the line.
The Robins began to assert themselves soon after with Will Ferry dribbling his way past several challenges before his left footed effort went the wrong side of the post.
James Olayinka replicated Ferry in beating a couple of men before his shot too went wide of the upright.
But the long wait for a goal was curtailed in the 39th minute as Goodwin found half a yard and fired a ball across the box that was gratefully met by Street to turn into an empty net.
The goal ended the Robins 1,031 minute wait for a goal stretching back to the last day of last season.
However, the visitors equalised deep into first half added time with Nelson heading home a rebound after an excellent original save from Luke Southwood.
The second half began in a calmer fashion with chances few and far between as the visitors threatened on a couple of occasions but neither Tom Barkhuizen nor Max Bird tested Southwood.
The Robins’ number one however was called into action in the 76th minute to palm away a James Collins effort on the turn.
Spurred into life, the hosts surged forward with and came close themselves when Liam Sercombe found a pocket of space 25 yards out before flashing a right footed shot wide.
More Southwood heroics soon followed as he rushed off his line to deny Collins a matter of yards from goal.
And with seconds left Collins had the chance to earn all three points for the visitors but he fired over from the edge of the box.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (3-5-2): Southwood; Long (c) (Bradbury 18), Freestone, Bevan; Smith (J. Williams 60), Sercombe, Bonds, Olayinka (Thompson 60), Ferry; Goodwin (Keena 73), Street (Malcolm 60). Subs not used: Harris (Gk), Butler-Oyedeji
DERBY COUNTY (4-4-2): Wildsmith; Nyambe, Nelson, Cashin, Forsyth; Mendez-Laing (Wilson 68), Smith, Fornah (Bird 46), Barkhuizen (Washington 82); Waghorn (Hourihane 68), Collins. Subs not used: Vickers (Gk), Bradley, Sibley
REFEREE: P Wright
ATTENDANCE: 5,292 (1,520 from Derby)