Boss Mick McCarthy said his players were all devastated after former Blue Liam Trotter netted a last minute equaliser as Town suffered final moments heartbreak at the City Ground for the second year running. Jonny Parr had given the Blues - who drew 2-2 in last season’s corresponding fixture - the lead with 16 minutes remaining.

“They’re all devastated, they’re all flat, really very, very disappointed,” McCarthy said. “There’s nothing I could say that would make them feel better or worse.

“I haven’t got any words of comfort. I haven’t got any soothing words and I don’t think I needed to be giving anybody any stick.

“It’s one of those, Gerks gets his hand on it, it’s just Johnny on the spot. We managed to block it but it’s Trotter that puts it in. Strikes me it’s Sod’s Law that."

He added: “I think we should have hung on. We shouldn’t have let them out of the corner. That’s what’s cost us, when the ball came in our our box.

“Maybe it’s just the way things are going, it falls to Johnny on the spot. We’ve even blocked it on the line and it falls for Trotter. Sod’s law that.”

Having made several important saves, including a superb stop from Trotter in the first half, McCarthy says keeper Dean Gerken was inconsolable after the match.

“Gerks is sat with his head in his hands, but he’s been fabulous, Gerks. At the time, I would imagine like everybody else when he comes and gets his hand on it he thinks he’s done great.

“But, of course, he collides with Christophe and they’re all on the floor, but I’m not going to be pointing the blame at him for it.”

He says the goal came from Town's failures further up the pitch: “They got a lot of bodies in the box. I don’t think we should have let them out of the corner. Their throw-in in their right-back slot should never have got into the left wing spot.

“We should have nailed that down and we didn’t, we missed a couple of tackles up there. Even if you give a foul away, so be it.”

Despite the late disappointment McCarthy was pleased with the overall performance: “I thought we played well enough. I thought they shaded the first half and we shaded the second, to be honest

“Having got the goal and not really having had to hold on, I think we should have won it. But, hey ho, it’s just the way things are going at the moment.

“We [made the other keeper make a few saves] and we probably didn’t make the most of some of the other chances, but I think they’d probably be saying the same.”

All 10 outfield players celebrated Parr's goal together, which illustrated the team spirit at the club which McCarthy says has never been in any doubt despite the current run of form.

“There’s no doubting the team spirit an the camaraderie amongst the players,” he continued. “I get that when it’s not going well the first thing that's said is ‘The manager’s lost the dressing room…’

“I never ever have lost the dressing room anywhere. We might lose games. The team spirit’s fabulous. I thought it was a good performance. But when we had the stranglehold on, we shouldn’t have let go.”

McCarthy started David McGoldrick, Daryl Murphy and Freddie Sears together for the first time, which he says gives him flexibility.

“I could do both, go 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, it suited us either way. I went to 4-4-2 in the second half and I thought we caused them a lot of problems.

“I thought the performance was good and the performance from players was good but it doesn’t feel like that now because we’d just lost two points with a minute to go.”

He felt playing the three frontmen gave Forest problems: “It worked to a certain degree. How are Murph and Didz going to get better? I guess only through playing.

“But it’s only if they’re the best ones, that’s the way it is. Freddie’s been outstanding. We can go 4-4-2 off that shape, which we did actually and probably had more chances late on in the second half at 4-4-2.”"

He says he may do the same again: “Possibly, because it’s a fairly threatening strike force in anybody’s book. We’ll just have to take a look at it, work at it and see if it’s going to suit us.”

The Blues lost Jonas Knudsen and Cole Skuse to injuries and says both will benefit from Town not having a game in midweek: “He’s damaged his hamstring, Jonas. You don’t run those off and we’ll have to see the extent of that on Monday morning and see.

“Skusey rocked his ankle that caused him to miss the game on Tuesday night, so that’s quite clearly that’s an ongoing thing, so it’s good that we haven’t got a game this week until Saturday, certainly for Skusey. It might give him a chance to be fit. I don’t know about Jonas.

“It’s been a tough week for everybody, just with the games we’ve had. So it might be nice for the lads to rest their limbs and get ready for two home games.”

Forest manager Dougie Freedman felt his side ought to have been in front at the break but in the end was happy to accept the point.

“After they scored we regrouped and put the pressure back on them," he said.

“We changed it around a little bit, and at least we got a point out of the game.

“We should have been at least 3-0 up at half-time. It’s a common theme right now that our good performances aren’t getting the right result.”

Regarding debutant goalscorer Liam Trotter, he added: “I thought he was excellent today. He came into the group and kept on going right to the end.

“He deserved his goal for a fantastic debut and a great performance.”

Photo: Action Images

Carberry added 23:13 - Oct 26 bluelady, with respect, I wasn't there but I do know that it's attempts on goal rather than possession that are important. Clearly Sky couldn't find anything that we achieved that threatened the Forest goal in the 1st half and 4 or 5 occasions that they did to ours. I admire your constitution if you felt positive leaving the ground after we had blown 3 points so dramatically.

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bohslegend added 10:35 - Oct 27 Surco I get to only 4 or 5 games a season. I live in a different country so therefore I'd have flights, car hire and accommodation to pay for as well as my ticket when I do go. Unfortunately I can't be there every week. Does not make you and the other moaners right. And you are also completely wrong re MM and the Ireland job. Roy Keane's actions in 2002 seriously damaged MM and the team itself. You have no idea how the media here split 50/50 into extreme positions on what happened in Saipan, this undermined his position as manager. Nothing to do with tactics. Go study it. And when you come back telling me Roy Keane was right well then we'll know how much you actually know about football.

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