Second half goals from Luke Chambers, Guy Moussi and Robert Earnshaw saw Nottingham Forest to a 3-0 victory over the Blues. The first half had been an even affair but Chambers’s fortunate goal just after the break from a contentiously awarded freekick set the home side on their way to a comfortable win.

Town boss Roy Keane, facing his old club, named an unchanged side for only the fourth time this season, although there was a tactical switch with Jon Walters starting in the centre with Grant Leadbitter on the right. The subs were also the same as at Derby on Monday with Tom Eastman again amongst the 18 but with Pablo Couñago and Owen Garvan left out.

In the second minute Chris Cohen hit a shot wide for the home side, then a minute later Daryl Murphy made a superb run beating several defenders before hitting a shot which Forest keeper Lee Camp saved.

Brian Murphy’s first save of the game came from Damien Delaney, the Town defender’s header intercepting a cross but sending the ball goalwards until his goalkeeper stopped it.

The home side had had the best of the first 10 minutes or so, but the Blues put the pressure on in a spell up to the quarter hour mark. A number of corners and Connor Wickham long throws came into the box with Grant Leadbitter and David Norris both having shots blocked.

Forest keeper Camp was almost embarrassed by Wickham in the 17th minute when the Town striker blocked his kick, the former Derby man lucky that the loose ball fell to one of his own players.

On 18 Chris Gunter crossed from the left and former Canary Robert Earnshaw flicked the ball across goal from the edge of the six-yard box, fortunately for the Blues wide of the post.

Grant Leadbitter was very unlucky to get his name in the referee’s book in the 22nd minute for a tackle which looked perfectly good, the Town midfielder winning the ball and no Forest players complaining about the challenge. Referee Dave Foster had already annoyed the Town support with a number of debatable decisions going for the home side.

David Norris shot wide, then after the move of the half Wickham struck an effort across the face of goal, the 17-year-old clearly thinking that he ought to have done better. Just before the break, Nathan Tyson screwed a shot well wide.

It had been a half in which either side might have gone in front. The only serious save had been Camp’s from Daryl Murphy but the home side might have tested Brian Murphy on a number of occasions, the Blues backline often closing down and blocking in and around the area when Forest players found themselves space.

The match completely changed in the opening minute of the second period when the home side scored a somewhat fortunate goal. Referee Dave Foster, positioned on the edge of the penalty area, harshly adjudged Shane O’Connor to have fouled Tyson on the touchline, his linesman inches from the incident appearing to feel that the Forest man had run into the Town defender after he had lost the ball.

The freekick was played inside to Earnshaw, who hit a shot which looked to be going well wide until it struck Luke Chambers on the edge of the box and beat Brian Murphy.

After a defender had got a toe in ahead of Walters to put the ball over the bar from 12 yards, referee Foster typically awarding a goalkick, Town switched Damien Delaney and Jack Colback for Tommy Smith and Carlos Edwards. Delaney had been undergoing treatment and hobbled round the pitch with what looked like an ankle injury. Edwards went to right midfield, Walters to the left and Leadbitter to the centre.

Leadbitter hit a 25-yard shot to Camp, but the Blues were looking short on ideas, while the goal had given the home side a boost and on 57 they went further in front. Edwards failed to track the overlapping Gunter, the former Spurs man sent in a cross, Moussa’s first effort was blocked but the midfielder scored at the second attempt.

It was a poor goal from Town’s perspective and there seemed no way back into the game, nevertheless, Edwards played Wickham in on goal in the 66th minute but the youngster’s shot from a tight angle on the right flew across the face of goal. David Healy replaced the again impressive Wickham, who was playing his fifth game in less than two weeks, for the final 24 minutes.

On 76 the home side increased their lead, again after a succession of Town defensive errors. Edwards surrendered possession halfway inside the Blues half, Murphy did well to block from Earnshaw but Town failed to clear their lines, the ball was played back to the Welshman, who scored what seems to be his usual goal against the Blues.

Town ought to have pulled a goal back in the 79th minute but Daryl Murphy headed Shane O’Connor’s cross over the bar from six yards out when he should have hit the target.

Walters shot wide as the Blues kept going but there appeared to be little invention in the Town midfield and Forest looked more dangerous every time they went forward. Sub George Boyd almost created a fourth for his side with a cross-shot which Earnshaw just failed to reach.

Walters struck another speculative effort from the edge of the box, then the Town skipper nodded Smith’s header from a corner over.

As the game moved into a surprising six minutes of injury time, Walters sent in a low ball from the left but David Norris’s shot was deflected over the bar.

The game’s final excitement saw Brian Murphy rush off his line to clear ahead of Earnshaw after the striker had got away behind the Town defence.

It was very much a game of two halves with neither side getting the upper hand before the break. Having conceded what was an unfortunate goal straight after the break, the Blues never got going again and the home side showed their superiority, although with the assistance of some dreadful Town defending.

Manager Roy Keane, who was clearly looking to experiment with Jon Walters starting in the centre of midfield, will be particularly unimpressed with the manner in which the second and third goals were conceded, Town’s improvement in the second half of the season having largely been based on defence.

The result confirms Forest’s place in the play-offs and shows the Blues what they have to aim for when 2010/11 starts in August.

Town: B Murphy, Peters, O’Connor, McAuley, Delaney (Smith 54), Norris, Walters, Leadbitter, Colback (Edwards 54), Wickham (Healy 66), D Murphy. Unused: Lee-Barrett, D Wright, Eastman, Martin. Att: 23,459.

Photo: Action Images

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