Nottingham Forest 2-2 Town Sunday, 5th Oct 2014 17:19 Michail Antonio’s injury time goal prevented the Blues from claiming their first win at the City Ground in 15 years as Nottingham Forest and Town played out an entertaining 2-2 draw. Daryl Murphy had twice put the Blues in front with Robert Tesche having grabbed the home side’s first equaliser. Jonny Williams replaced Teddy Bishop in an otherwise Town side otherwise unchanged from the midweek draw at Sheffield Wednesday, again utilising three strikers. Ex-Forest duo Luke Chambers and David McGoldrick also started for the Blues, but Paul Anderson missed out on a place in the 18 due to the hamstring injury he suffered in training on Friday. Town, wearing their home shirt with blue shorts, started brightly and forced an early corner on the right, Murphy heading Williams’s flag-kick into Forest keeper Karl Darlow’s arms. The home side threatened for the first time when Chris Burke cut the ball back from the right, then went even closer a minute later. After a freekick from the right had been cleared out to the left, Antonio sent over a cross to the far post which skimmed off Matty Fryatt’s head, on to the post and out of play. The Blues had another fortunate escape on nine when Henri Lansbury’s low left-wing corner avoided everyone in the box before being seen out for a throw by Cole Skuse. Town went close to breaking the deadlock on 12 after Tyrone Mings had crossed from the left. McGoldrick’s shot was blocked but Forest only half cleared and Sammon played Williams’s pass into the path of Murphy on the right but the Irishman blazed over when he should have done better. It had been an entertaining and open start to the game. On 14 Berra nodded a Williams freekick wide, then at the other end Mings did well to get a toe in to dispossess Britt Assombalonga as the ex-Peterborough striker broke into the area. Despite that opportunity, Town were gradually getting on top and in the 19th minute they went in front via one of the goals of the season. Skuse sent a long ball down the right to Murphy, who took the ball down and inside full-back Eric Lichaj before bringing it into the area past Kelvin Wilson. He first feinted to shoot before smashing a left-foot strike into the corner of Darlow’s net for his fifth goal of the season and probably his best for the Blues. Town continued to push after the goal, Darlow claiming a Parr header from another excellent Skuse ball, then Sammon ran into trouble on the left before he could feed McGoldrick having won the ball from Jack Hunt on halfway. Forest were forced to replace Wilson with Jamaal Lascelles in the 29th minute, the centre-half having undergone treatment earlier in the half, then four minutes later Jay Tabb replaced Luke Hyam, who had been suffering with a knock prior to the game. Chambers hooked a shot to Darlow on 40 before Williams was presented with a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 when Lansbury under-hit a back-pass to Darlow. However, the Wales international’s first touch allowed Michael Mancienne to get back to dispossess him. Williams required treatment after a challenge with Lansbury just prior to the fourth official’s board announcing four additional minutes, but was OK to carry on. The Blues found themselves somewhat under the cosh during injury time and shortly before the whistle Parr diverted Hunt’s right-wing cross behind ahead of Burke. From the resultant corner Assombalonga claimed for a foul by Chambers, who in turn felt he’d been fouled, but referee James Linington brought what had been a lively half to an end. Town, who had played some of their best football of the season, deserved their lead at the break having had one or two other decent chances in addition to Murphy’s excellent goal. Forest had also had their moments, coming closest when Fryatt hit the post, but the Blues’ defence, and the outstanding Mings in particular, had held out. Neither side created anything significant in the opening minutes after the restart. Parr blocked from Assombalonga on 52, Forest having broken quickly after Mings had been unable to find space to shoot on the edge of their box. Five minutes later Lansbury picked up the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Williams. The home side were looking threatening and the Blues were increasingly finding themselves under pressure and on 59 only a fabulous Gerken save prevented Forest from getting on terms. Hunt cut the ball back from the right and the Town keeper did superbly to stop Michail Antonio’s close-range effort low to his right. Two minutes later, Williams, who looked to be feeling the effects of Lansbury’s earlier foul, was replaced by Bishop. In the 63rd minute the Forest pressure paid dividends. A mix-up between Chambers and Parr midway inside the Blues half saw Assombalonga break into the area on the left before the Norwegian full-back got back to stab behind. However, from Burke’s corner on the left, Tesche nodded into the net at the far post. The goal had been coming with Forest having been very much on top since the break. Stuart Pearce’s men continued to press Town back, Antonio shooting wide from the right and Burke curling an effort only just past the post having cut in from the other flank. But on 71 the Blues went back in front with Murphy again the man on the scoresheet. Mings and Tab exchanged passes on the left before the full-back sent over a cross and Murphy powered a brilliant header beyond Darlow and into the net for his sixth goal of the season. Forest seemed momentarily stunned to have gone behind again and a minute later McGoldrick found space to hit a low 25-yard effort which Darlow did well to hold on to. Tommy Smith replaced McGoldrick as the Blues switched to a five-man backline for the final quarter of an hour, then five minutes later ex-Blue Dan Harding was introduced by the home side. Lansbury shot over as the game moved into its final 10 minutes, then Antonio, who had gone to ground very easily inside the penalty area on a number of occasions but without impressing referee Linington, lashed over as Forest continued to search for the equaliser but with the Blues holding firm and Berra a dominant presence. But deep into five minutes of injury time, Forest levelled for the second time, again from a corner. Lansbury sent the ball to the far post and Antonio powered home much to the relief of the home support. Pearce’s men continued to push in the remaining minutes but were unable to grab what would have been an undeserved winner. Forest, still unbeaten in the league, will feel a draw was the least they deserved after dominating the second half, but the late equaliser was tough on the Blues - the better side in the first period - who had defended stoutly after regaining the lead via Murphy’s second excellent goal of the game. While manager Mick McCarthy won’t be at all happy that his side conceded two goals from set pieces - on top of another at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday - and let the lead slip so late on, he won’t be too disappointed to go into the international break on a run of seven games without a defeat and with Town in sixth in the table. Forest: Darlow, Lichaj (Harding 81), Mancienne (c), Wilson (Lascelles 29), Hunt, Lansbury, Tesche, Antonio, Burke (Veldwijk 75), Fryatt, Assombalonga. Unused: De Vries, Harding, Osborn, Grant, Paterson. Town: Gerken, Parr, Mings Chambers (c), Berra, Skuse , Hyam (Tabb 33), Sammon, Williams (Bishop 61), Murphy, McGoldrick (Smith 75). Unused: Bialkowski, Bru, Henshall, Bajner. Referee: James Linington (Newport, IOW). Att: 24,354 (Town: 1,672).
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