Town’s 2012 got off to the worst possible start with goal-phobic Nottingham Forest leaving Portman Road with a 3-1 victory. Marcus Tudgay and Garath McCleary put the visitors - who hadn’t scored in their seven previous games - two goals in front at the break, then after the Blues had missed a number of chances, skipper Grant Leadbitter pulled one back from the penalty spot before Tudgay sealed Forest’s victory with his second of the afternoon.

Andy Drury was a surprise starter for the Blues, in a role between lone striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas ahead of the rest of the midfield. Jason Scotland and Keith Andrews again missed out with hamstring problems.

Ívar Ingimarsson replaced the suspended Ibrahima Sonko at the centre of the defence alongside Damien Delaney. Jack Ainsley was on the bench but there was no place for Jimmy Bullard in the 16.

Forest made two changes from their 1-0 defeat to Cardiff with defender Joel Lynch banned and striker Robbie Findley out with shoulder injury. Andy Reid and summer Town target George Boateng came into the side with Guy Moussi switching to centre-half. Ex-Blues loanee Marlon Harewood was unavailable with international clearance not having come through.

Drury struck the game’s first shot in the first minute after good work from Emmanuel-Thomas but it was the Blues whose goal came under the first serious threat, Marcus Tudgay getting ahead of Ingimarsson but the former Sheffield Wednesday blazed over when he should have done much better.

But Forest’s first goal in seven games wasn’t long in coming and Tudgay, who had scored their last one, the final minute winner in the game against Town at the City Ground in November, was the man on target. Andy Reid played a pass ahead of this striker, who broke from deep unchecked before hitting a shot across Arran Lee-Barrett and into the net.

Forest couldn’t have hoped to score an easier goal — or Town for a worse start - with no one having picked up the 28-year-old as he made his run.

The visitors continued to provide the greater threat, Lewis McGugan hitting a low shot through to Lee-Barrett but as the game reached the 10-minute mark the Blues began to come into it more, Lee Bowyer having a shot blocked, then Daryl Murphy saw a strike from the left fly just wide of Lee Camp’s post.

Town weren’t too far away on 19 when Carlos Edwards sent in a freekick from the right, Delaney headed back across goal and Emmanuel-Thomas nodded the ball straight at Camp. A foot or so either side of the keeper and the Blues would have been on terms.

Edwards and Martin carved out a chance for Bowyer on 21 but the veteran midfielder was thwarted by both Camp and a linesman’s flag, the Forest keeper taking an age to take the resultant freekick, something noted by referee Carl Boyeson.

George Boateng struck low shot from the edge of the area which Lee-Barrett claimed at the second attempt after Delaney and Bowyer had got in one another’s way, then moments later Reid went wide with the visitors continuing to have a worryingly large number of chances.

Damien Delaney went close for Town in the 24th minute after being found by Emmanuel-Thomasfive yards outside the area but his shot flew over Camp’s crossbar.

A minute later, the visitors went two in front. Delaney’s header from a long clearance failed to find Cresswell and Garath McCleary took the ball on to the edge of the box before hitting a shot past Lee-Barrett.

McGugan wasn’t far away from adding a third moments later, his chip ending up on the roof of the net with the Sir Bobby Robson Stand becoming increasingly angered by proceedings and chanting ‘what a load of rubbish’.

Edwards shot straight at Camp with the Blues having a fair bit of the ball but without being able to create anything clear cut and with Forest looking more dangerous every time they went forward.

Murphy should have pulled a goal back for Town on 37 when Edwards sent in a deep cross from the right but the Irishman’s header was straight at Camp.

On 38 Emmanuel-Thomas went closer, hammering a bouncing ball off Camp’s crossbar. Martin and Bowyer got in one another’s way as they went for the rebound, the latter possibly calling to the former to leave the ball as he was in an offside position, something the linesman’s flag confirmed but with the danger gone.

With three minutes of the half remaining, Michael Chopra replaced Lee Bowyer, who appeared to have picked up an injury moments earlier when he caught his studs in the turf. The former Cardiff man went up front alongside Emmanuel-Thomas in a 4-4-2 formation.

The ex-Arsenal man shot over a minute later, then at the other end Reid skipped past Delaney but scuffed his shot into Lee-Barrett’s arms.

As the half moved into injury time, Murphy had another chance to pull a goal back. Martin played in a ball from the right and the on-loan Celtic man met it at the far post but could only divert it upwards and over.

Referee Boyeson’s whistle signalled the start of a brief round of boos as the players made their way off, the Blues once again finding themselves behind at the break.

Town never really got to grips with the change of system but after giving away two more poor goals — both from open play rather than set plays on this occasion — they had created a number of chances without playing particularly well.

Murphy might well have scored twice, while Emmanuel-Thomas was unlucky when he hit the bar and Bowyer would probably have netted the rebound if Martin had left him to it. However, even while the Blues were creating chances, Forest were continuing to look a threat at the other end with the Town backline looking distinctly shaky.

It was the visitors who threatened first in the second half, Lee-Barrett doing superbly to get down to his right to stop Tudgay’s header from a corner on the right. Moments later, Edwards blocked a Reid shot, then Greening missed the target with a second opportunity.

Forest continued to have most of the game with McCleary and Tudgay unable to get a clear shot at goal after a corner from the right ran loose inside the area. On 51 McGugan blasted a freekick narrowly over.

But the Blues gradually started to get more into the game, Martin just failing to make contact with an overhead kick, then Emmanuel-Thomas and Murphy both receiving the ball at their feet inside the area but unable to get in shots at goal. Emmanuel-Thomas curled a freekick wide in the 56th minute.

Josh Carson replaced Daryl Murphy in the 65th minute, then from a freekick Martin connected with an overhead kick but the ball failed to get near the target. Town were pushing and showing spirit, but with Camp and his backline so far remaining resolute. Nathan Ellington took over from Lee Martin for the final 20 minutes with Emmanuel-Thomas moving wide.

Moments later, the 21-year-old, significantly Town’s most dangerous player, sent a ball across the six-yard box but too far in front of Chopra. From the corner, Ellington headed wide. For Forest, McGugan shot over.

Town finally pulled a goal back in the 75th minute when Emmanuel-Thomas took the ball into the area and, after beating two defenders, was upended by Greg Cunningham. Leadbitter slammed the penalty home off both posts.

The goal gave the Blues renewed belief that they could get something from the game and on 77 Chopra hit a shot which was deflected wide of Camp’s right post.

But, as so often over the last couple of seasons, Town were caught with a sucker punch. Forest boke quickly, Reid crossed from the left and Tudgay headed across Lee-Barrett and into the net.

The third Forest goal knocked the wind out of Town’s sales but on 83 Emmanuel-Thomas saw another strike deflect wide.

Ellington crossed just too high for Carson with six minutes remaining and Leadbitter — who picked up a booking for a foul on McGugan late on - forced Camp into a save down to his left in injury time but the Blues were unable to get themselves back into the game.

The whistle signalled more vociferous boos than at the end of the first half with the Blues having recorded their seventh home defeat of the season.

Town had pressed during the second half but without creating too many clear- cut chances with Emmanuel-Thomas at the heart of most of what was carved out.

Had Forest not scored their third then the Blues might have pushed for an equaliser but Tudgay’s second all but killed the fightback.

The game though was lost in the first period when Town gave away more poor goals having been unable to settle into the surprise formation switch.

The Blues showed spirit as they tried to battle back and were perhaps unfortunate not to have scored more than once, but overall it was another disappointing performance and illustrated how much work there is to do if Town are to be a promotion-pushing side next season, let alone this time around.

Town (4-4-1-1): Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Ingimarsson, Delaney, Cresswell, Martin (Ellington 70), Leadbitter (c), Bowyer (Chopra 42), Drury, Murphy (Carson 65), Emmanuel-Thomas. Unused: Wright, Ainsley.

Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Camp, Gunter, Moussi, Chambers (c), Cunningham, Greening, Boateng, McCleary, McGugan, Reid (Bamford 90), Tudgay. Unused: Smith, Derbyshire, Majewski, Meadows. Referee Carl Boyeson (East Yorkshire). Att: 18,964 (Forest: 800).

Photo: Action Images

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