Nottingham Forest took on Bristol City in a vital clash as the 2008/09 season begins to draw to its conclusion with the Reds still in grave danger of an immediate return to League One.

Isaiah Osbourne was somewhat surprisingly omitted from the team that battled so hard at Barnsley last week, as Billy Davies recalled Paul Anderson as the fifth loanee. There were also returns in the heart of midfield for James Perch and Guy Moussi.

Forest had the first chance of the afternoon when Dexter Blackstock headed a Chris Cohen free kick wide of the post when it had looked easier to hit the target.

City replied, and after Iain Turner failed to deal with a low cross from the left, Ivan Sproule forced the ball home from close range.

With the City Ground at its quietest for some time City almost extended their lead when Jamie McCombe’s far post header was well saved by Turner.

The Reds eventually got back into the contest and were level just after the half hour mark when Rob Earnshaw latched onto a Blackstock ball before shrugging off the attentions of McCombe to equalise

The game opened up somewhat after half time with the Reds pushing for a winner, and City looking dangerous on the break. Joel Lynch should have notched his first goal for the club but stabbed wide from just a yard or two out as the home faithful became frustrated. At the other end Kelvin Wilson did well to clear from his own goal line after Sproule took advantage of a misunderstanding between Turner and Lynch.

With 12 minutes remaining, disaster struck when Turner inexplicably came for a ball he had no chance of getting allowing Dele Adebola to divert a header into an empty net.

As the home faithful contemplated a return to League One, there was yet more drama to follow as the Reds pushed for the equaliser. After Chris Gunter had won a free kick out on the right (which resulted in a second booking for City’s Craig McAllister), Lewis McGugan crossed for substitute Joe Garner to steer home his first goal since January.

The Reds players now sensed victory. As time started to run out, the unthinkable happened when Dexter Blackstock volleyed an injury time shot into the bottom corner to bring the roof off on all four sides of the City Ground.

Despite being down to 10 men City pushed for a leveller, but despite a couple of hairy moments Forest held on for a crucial 3 points.

Although this was not a vintage performance, and Forest have played better and lost this season, if the Reds can show this fighting spirit between now and the end of the season, survival is very much attainable with the likes of Norwich and Barnsley facing some tough fixtures between now and the end of the season.

Forest: Turner, Gunter, Morgan, Wilson, Lynch, Perch (McGugan 79), Moussi (McCleary 60), Cohen, Anderson, Earnshaw (Garner 71), Blackstock.

MOM: Chris Cohen