Town’s FA Cup fifth round tie at Nottingham Forest remains 0-0 at half-time.

Boss Kieran McKenna made eight changes with keeper Alex Palmer, right-back Axel Tuanzebe and skipper Sam Morsy the only survivors from Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat at Manchester United.

Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess, making his 100th appearance under McKenna, were the centre-halves with Conor Townsend at left-back.

Morsy was joined in central midfield by Massimo Luongo, making only his fourth start of the season.

Ahead of them, Ben Johnson was on the right, Jack Taylor the number 10 and Nathan Broadhead on the left with George Hirst the out-and-out striker.

On the bench were one-time Forest loanee Aro Muric, Leif Davis, Jens Cajuste, Liam Delap, Jacob Greaves, Dara O’Shea, Jaden Philogene, Jack Clarke, who has scored three goals in the FA Cup so far this season, and young forward Tom Taylor, was included in the senior squad for the first time.

Sammie Szmodics was the only surprise absentee from the 20-man squad having returned to action as a late sub at Old Trafford.

Forest made six changes from the team which drew 0-0 at home to Arsenal last Wednesday with only Matz Sels, Ola Aina, Murillo, Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi keeping their places. Former Blues loanee Chris Wood was on the bench.

Town made a positive start and created the first chance of the game in the third minute, Townsend crossing from the left and Broadhead allowing the ball to flick off his head but without diverting it enough to beat Sels.

Applause rang around the ground in the sixth minute in tribute to Forest fan Sam Perkins, who died recently.

The home side began to put the Blues under pressure, Ola Aina hitting a shot from the edge of the area, which was blocked.

Following the second of two corners, Ibrahim Sangaré stooped to flick a header from Anthony Elanga’s right-sided flag-kick across the face of goal and just wide of the far post.

On 13, Woolfenden was forced to hook a ball down the middle out for a corner with Palmer having advanced out of his goal as Elanga chased him down to his left and centre forward Taiwo Awoniyi burst towards him on his blind side, momentarily causing panic.

Three minutes later, Luongo was shown the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Callum Hudson-Odoi not far outside the area to the left. Palmer punched away Elanga’s free-kick.

In the 19th minute, the Blues almost played themselves into trouble on the edge of their area, Palmer passing out to Luongo on the 18-yard line with Sangaré in close attention, but the Australian international calmly stroked it back to the keeper and the danger was averted.

Forest continued to see most of the ball but with Town getting more of a foothold in the game.

On 23, Elanga shot well over from just outside the box, then almost immediately the Blues put together a move which ended with Townsend sending over a dangerous cross which was nodded behind by a Forest defender. From the corner, the ball fell to Johnson on the edge of the box but the ex-West Ham man’s shot was blocked.

As the half moved into its final 15 minutes, the home side began to see more of the ball again and on 35 a cross from the right deflected out to Danilo five yards outside the box but Woolfenden got in the way of the Brazilian’s powerful strike. Four minutes later, Sangaré shot well over from the right.

After an uneventful additional minute in keeping with much of the rest of the half, referee Tony Harrington brought the period to a close.

Forest will feel they had shaded the half but aside from Sangaré’s header past the post, hadn’t seriously threatened.

The only attempt on target in the entire 45 minutes was Broadhead’s flick in the third minute.

Town will feel happy with their overall display having limited the Tricky Trees to so few opportunities, while having spells in control, creating one or two openings themselves.

Forest: Sels, Morato, Murillo, Sangare, Aina, Danilo, Yates (c), Elanga, Moreno, Hudson-Odoi, Awoniyi. Subs: Hennessey, Williams, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Wood, Dominguez, Jota, Sosa, Boly.

Town: Palmer, Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Burgess, Townsend, Morsy (c), Luongo, Johnson, J Taylor, Broadhead, Hirst. Subs: Muric, O'Shea, Greaves, Davis, Cajuste, Philogene, T Taylor, Clarke, Delap. Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland). VAR: Jarred Gillett.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters

Gforce added 20:30 - Mar 3 What an awful game ,my God this famous old competition hasn't half changed in recent years, bring back the seventies when it really mattered.
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bobble added 20:31 - Mar 3 So far so good with our reserves
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KiwiTractor added 20:31 - Mar 3 Awful. Slow, negative, no quality.
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chepstowblue added 20:39 - Mar 3 An absolute yawnfest. We have perfected the sideways/backwards style of play that has viewers changing channels. A very tough watch, but we're still in it !
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