Former Town midfielder Liam Trotter denied his old club their first win at the City Ground since 1999 with a debut goal deep into injury time as the Blues and Forest drew 1-1. Earlier, sub Jonny Parr’s 74th minute goal had given the Blues the lead.
Mick McCarthy made four changes from the team which lost 3-0 at Hull City in midweek with David McGoldrick, Cole Skuse, Freddie Sears and Ainsley Maitland-Niles all starting. Giles Coke, Jonathan Douglas, Larsen Touré and Parr dropped to the bench.
McGoldrick - like skipper Luke Chambers a former Forest player - was in the centre with Daryl Murphy to his left and Sears to his right. The trio of strikers were all starting a game for the first time since Sears signed from Colchester in January. Giles Coke, Jonathan Douglas, Larsen Touré and Jonny Parr all dropped to the bench.
Former Town midfielder Liam Trotter was handed his debut for Forest having joined on loan from Bolton earlier in the day, while ex-Blues loanee Jonny Williams was also in the Tricky Trees’ midfield.
Town controlled the opening minutes but without creating any openings. On nine, after a long spell of Blues passing largely dictated by Bru, Jonas Knudsen sent over a cross from the left which was too long for his team-mates. Moments later, a Murphy shot on the edge of the box struck Sears.
The Blues were caught on the break in the 10th minute but Skuse and then Tommy Smith got back to challenge and eventually dispossess Ryan Mendes, unfairly according to the home fans. Referee Paul Tierney wasn’t interested, however.
A minute later Williams played in Mendes on the Forest right and the Cape Verde international shot low across the face of Dean Gerken’s goal. Mendes may have been helped find space by Blues left-back Knudsen having suffered an injury and on 12 the Danish international made way for Jonny Parr.
Chances continued to be rare events at either end but in the 29th minute only a superb Gerken save prevented the home side from going in front.
The Blues were caught short of numbers as Mendes broke and then fed Trotter to his left. The former Northgate High School pupil hit a powerful low shot across the Town keeper who got down to his left and blocked with a strong hand.
The loose ball eventually found Jamie Ward, who cut in from the right and hit another low effort which the Blues keeper palmed wide.
The double save was the highlight what had had been a less then enthralling game up to then and a minute later Town had a chance at the other end.
McGoldrick’s header from Bru’s corner struck a defender and ran loose in the area but wouldn’t fall for Murphy and the danger was cleared.
Forest immediately broke and Skuse picked up the game’s first booking for fouling Williams on halfway.
Gerken was forced into another save on 36 batting away Nelson Oliveira’s shot from the right of the area.
Oliveira claimed he had been fouled in the area by Parr in the 41st minute as a Ward cross came over from the left but the Forest man appeared to be the one with his arms around the Town defender. The ball eventually reached Mendes at the far post and he shot into the side-netting.
A minute before the break Smith was booked for tripping Mendes as Forest again counter-attacked quickly, a Town move having broken down on the edge of the home side’s box after Murphy’s pass had failed to find McGoldrick.
Just before the break both physios were called into action when Maitland-Niles and Trotter clashed heads as they went for a header.
Both players were fine to continue and the on-loan Arsenal man made a strong run down the left moments after returning to the field and won a corner.
Forest broke quickly following the Town flag-kick and Mendes hit the half’s final shot wide of Gerken’s right post.
The home side will believe they should have been in front at the break having had much the better of the chances.
Gerken had been the busier of the two keepers with his stop from Trotter’s strike as good if not better than his recent save from another former Town man, Jordan Rhodes, at Blackburn.
The Blues had had spells on top but had failed to carve out a significant opening or manage a shot on target.
Town created their first chance of the second half in the 50th minute when McGoldrick’s clever pass found Sears, who fed Murphy to his left. The Irishman played the ball inside to the onrushing Parr, whose shot was blocked by Forest skipper Kelvin Wilson, who was winded by the strike.
Parr was booked for another foul on the breaking Williams, then moments later the Wales international’s cross deflected out to Ward, whose shot was deflected over.
The home side were starting the second half on top but on 53 Bru seized on Dorus De Vries’s poor kick and sent Sears away on the right but the former Colchester striker’s cross failed to find a Town man.
Ward again shot over, before the Blues forced De Vries into his first save of the afternoon, the former Swansea man pawing away Sears’s powerful strike from just inside the area on the left. The loose ball fell to Murphy and his shot was blocked.
Gerken saved low to his left from Ward in the 56th minute, then two minutes later Forest old boy McGoldrick forced De Vries into another save with a curling effort from the edge of the area. The loose ball fell to Murphy at a tight angle on the left but the Blues’ number nine shot into the sidenetting.
But the home side were still largely on top and a minute later Berra was booked for a foul on Mendes.
Oliveira’s freekick struck the wall and flew well wide, then and on 61 Trotter turned a low cross from the left against Berra from eight yards.
Skuse made a vital last ditch challenge on Oliveira in the 66th minute after the Portuguese frontman had got past Chambers inside the area.
Williams was replaced in the Forest midfield by Jorge Grant, then Douglas took over from Skuse in the Blues midfield, the former Bristol City man appearing to have suffered a knock when making his challenge on Oliveira.
Mendes shot over from distance for Forest on 71 with Forest continuing to look the more likely scorers.
But in the 74th minute the Blues went in front. Chambers fed Bru to his right and the Mauritius international sent over a hanging cross. Eric Lichaj beat Murphy to the ball but his header fell to Parr, who hooked a half-volley on the half-turn into the top corner of De Vries’s net from midway inside the Forest area.
The Town players celebrated their first goal in more than three games and almost a month - and Parr’s first of the season - long and hard in front of their supporters.
Going in front gave the Blues renewed confidence and Sears won a corner soon after the goal.
Town might have added to their lead on 79 when McGoldrick was found in space just outside the box but his shot flew well over.
Murphy went somewhat closer from more than 30 yards two minutes later, his powerful strike flaying not too far past De Vries’s right post.
Forest threw everything forward in the final minutes as they looked to put the Blues under pressure. Strikers Dexter Blackstock and Chris O’Grady were both brought on before the Blues switched Sears for Piotr Malarczyk for the final four minutes of scheduled time.
As the game moved into a surprising six minutes of additional time Malarczyk rose highest to make two important headed clearances.
Just as it looked as if Town would hold on, with the game in the fifth minute of injury time, they conceded a last-gasp equaliser at Forest for the second successive year.
Gerken’s punch from David Vaughan’s left-wing cross from the left only made it as far as Grant with the keeper and Berra both grounded. Malarczyk cleared the sub's shot off the line but Trotter was on hand to slam in the rebound from close range.
Neither side seriously threatened again before referee Tierney blew his final whistle to end another frustrating afternoon at the City Ground for Town.
On balance, a defeat would have been harsh on Forest, who had most of the game’s better chances and had been on top until Town went in front.
But having gone in front and having kept the lead relatively comfortably until so late in the game, the draw must have felt more like a defeat to Mick McCarthy and his men, who have now gone six league matches without a win and are down to 13th in the Championship table.
The Blues are next in action against Cardiff at home next Saturday with another game at Portman Road with Bolton the following Tuesday.
Nottingham Forest: De Vries, Lichaj, Wilson (c), Hobbs (O’Grady 82), Pinillos, Trotter, Williams (Grant 67), Mendes, Ward (Blackstock 79), Oliveira. Unused: Evtimov, Burke, Walker, Iacovitti.
Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen (Parr 12), Skuse (Douglas 68), Bru, Maitland-Niles, Sears (Malarczyk 86), Murphy, McGoldrick. Unused: Bialkowski, Douglas, Coke, Touré, Pitman. Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire). Att: 19,616.