Town 2-1 Nottingham Forest - Match Report Saturday, 25th Apr 2015 17:11 Freddie Sears netted a deflected 83rd minute goal saw the Blues to a 2-1 home victory over Nottingham Forest and to within touching distance of the play-offs. Daryl Murphy put the Blues, who are up to fifth, ahead with his 25th goal of the season on 22 but Christophe Berra’s 53rd minute own goal handed the visitors a lifeline before Sears’s late winner. Stephen Hunt replaced the unwell Jay Tabb in an otherwise unchanged Town side. Luke Varney and Darren Ambrose returned to the bench after hamstring injuries and Kevin Bru after a calf problem, alongside Elliott Hewitt, who was back in the 18 for the first time since returning from his spell at Colchester. Following an impeccable minute’s silence to mark the 30th anniversary of the Bradford Fire Disaster, Forest had the game’s first chance in the second minute. Cole Skuse’s poor touch on the edge of the Blues box bounced to Dexter Blackstock, but the striker’s shot failed to test Bartosz Bialkowski. Town’s first opportunity came on four, Daryl Murphy heading Teddy Bishop’s corner from the right over the bar. Ben Osborn shot powerfully but straight at Bialkowski in the eighth minute after Tyrone Mings had surrendered possession. The Blues had started scruffily, all too often failing to clear their lines following Forest attacks but gradually they began to get on top. On 19 Freddie Sears hit a well-struck effort from distance which curled well wide. Just as the clock was about to turn over from 21 to 22 with the Portman Road crowd paying tribute to 21-year-old supporter Chris Reynolds, who died last weekend, with a minute’s applause, the Blues took the lead. Murphy flicked on a long ball to Sears, who deftly knocked the ball down to his strike partner just inside the area to the right and the Championship’s top scorer smashed his 25th goal of the season past Karl Darlow and into the net. The Irishman is the first Blues player to hit 25 league goals in a season since Ray Crawford in 1962/63. Skipper Luke Chambers suffered what appeared to be a concerning injury after being caught late in the 29th minute but after treatment was OK to continue. On 38 Tommy Smith headed Hunt’s freekick from the left over the bar, then two minutes later Darlow had a scare when he slipped as a long ball bounced through to him but recovered his footing in time to claim. Moments later, Mings crossed from the left but Murphy and Chambers both saw shots blocked. In the final scheduled minute of the half Murphy skipped between a couple of defenders but scuffed a 25-yard shot to Darlow. As the period moved into injury time, Bialkowski tipped Lansbury’s curling shot over the bar. After a scrappy start the Blues had largely controlled the half but without creating too many clear-cut chances, aside from the opportunity which led to Murphy lashing home his excellent 25th of the campaign. The striker scuffed his late chance to add the second goal which would probably seal the three points and all but confirm the Blues’ play-off place. Six minutes after the restart, Tommy Smith went down in the area after appearing to be caught by an arm but referee Graham Salisbury waved away the protests. Seconds later, the Blues were awarded a freekick 25 yards out for a foul on Hunt, who curled his dead-ball strike wide. On 53, almost out of nothing, the visitors got back on terms. Bialkowski palmed away Chuba Akpom’s 25-yard strike, Osborn sent the ball back into the area from the left and Christophe Berra, slipping as he tried to clear from the edge of the six-yard box, inadvertently diverted it back past his keeper into the net. It was an own goal as unfortunate as they come. Forest began to get on top following the goal and in the 59th minute Hunt was forced to make a superb challenge to thwart Akpom when he seemed certain to stab into the net from close range. Bialkowski was quickest to the loose ball ahead of Henri Lansbury before Jonny Parr finally cleared the danger. Bialkowski was forced into action again a minute later, the Pole pawing wide Michail Antonio’s 30-yard strike. On 64 Luke Varney replaced Hunt and three minutes later the sub went within inches of putting the Blues back in front. Murphy back-heeled to Bishop on the right and the 18-year-old sent over a cross which the on-loan Blackburn man flicked across goal but just past the post. Kevin Bru replaced Parr on 68, the Mauritian international heading a Mings cross wide with the Blues beginning to get back on top after Forest’s brief post-goal resurgence. A minute later, Varney flicked another header to Darlow. Murphy scuffed a low shot through to the Forest keeper on 76 with the Blues on top but not testing Darlow often or severely enough. Two minutes later, Bru whipped over a cross from the right which flew beyond his team-mates. Former Forest midfielder Paul Anderson replaced Bishop for the final 11 minutes, while the visitors swapped Akpon for Chris Burke. Within seconds of coming on, Anderson almost won a penalty when a defender’s leg caught him as he took the ball past him but the winger remained on his feet and ultimately sent his cross behind. Varney went close again on 82 when his looping header from Anderson’s left-wing cross flew just over. Two minutes later, the Blues’ lead was restored. After Murphy had nodded down Murphy's long ball Sears battled his way past Jack Hobbs on the edge of the area before hitting a shot which took a wicked deflection off Michael Mancienne, struck the wrong-footed Darlow’s left post and flew across goal before hitting the net. Sears, who has now scored nine goals for the Blues in addition to his 14 for Colchester, ran off towards the East of England Co-Op Stand to celebrate with his team-mates. The former West Ham youngster threatened again on 89, breaking away one-on-one with Mancienne but eventually shooting against the defender. In injury time there were a couple of scary moments for the Blues. First Lansbury sent a freekick into the box from deep which Lascelles headed over ahead of Bialkowski, then - after Anderson had been booked for encroaching - Mings appeared to take a kick to the head has Town tried to clear another freekick into the box. But the Blues weren’t to be denied the three points and referee Salisbury’s whistle confirmed the victory. Town looked to be on their way to a routine victory at half-time but the unlucky own goal got Forest back into the game. But the Blues weathered their spell on top and had been pushing for a second when Sears netted his, also slightly fortunate, winner. Following the final whistle there was the traditional lap of honour by the players and staff. The win and results elsewhere see the Blues move up to fifth ahead of Derby, who drew 3-3 at Millwall, while seventh-placed Brentford won 2-0 away at Reading and Wolves in eighth won 1-0 away at Wigan. Town remain three points ahead of those two with a superior goal difference - three more than Brentford (who have scored more than the Blues), seven more than Wolves (who haven't) - and one point ahead of the Rams (who have a better goal difference) going into next week’s final game at Blackburn. The Blues will confirm their place in the play-offs if they avoid defeat at Ewood Park or lose and at least two of the following results fail to occur elsewhere: Derby win or draw, Brentford win with a swing of three goals or more, or Wolves win with a swing of at least seven, or in an unlikely scenario eight, goals. Elsewhere, Watford's promotion was confirmed by their 2-0 win at Brighton. Middlesbrough, who are third, lost 4-3 Fulham, Norwich in fourth drew 1-1 at Rotherham and second-placed AFC Bournemouth play Bolton at home on Monday. Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Bishop (Anderson 80), Parr (Bru 68), S Hunt (Varney 64), Murphy, Sears. Unused: Gerken, Fryers, Hewitt, Ambrose, Varney. Nottingham Forest: Darlow, Lichaj (Fox 62), Mancienne, Lascelles, Hobbs, Vaughan, Lansbury (c), Osborn (Walker 86), Antonio, Akpon (Burke 80), Blackstock. Unused: Evtimov, Kane, Paterson, Grant. Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire). Attendance: 25,199 (Forest: 1,051).
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