Results and Reports

Sat Nov 29th: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Barnsley

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:37:00 GMT

It was last chance saloon for Colin Calderwood as Barnsley visited the City Ground on Saturday.

With only victory likely to save his bacon the Reds boss went all out attack with Earnshaw, Tyson and Garner all named in the starting line up. There was also a surprise recall for Brendon Maloney who was plucked out of the Blue Square Premier where the young Irishman had been plying his trade with Rushden & Diamonds recently.

Forest started poorly as Barnsley dominated the early stages. The Tykes, boosted by some decent recent form should really have gone ahead before the half hour mark with Jon Macken guilty of wasting their best chance heading wide from close range after an excellent cross from the right. Jamal Campbell-Ryce forced Lee Camp into action with a powerful shot from 25 yards being beaten away by the Forest stopper.

Forest eventually improved and after being second best initially the Reds received a massive boost on around the 36 minute mark when Nathan Tyson produced a superb run and cross from the left to set up Joe Garner who registered his first home goal for the club.

Visibly boosted by the goal Forest ended the half on top and didn’t really want to hear the half time whistle. The Reds had valid shouts for a penalty turned down when Garner was flattened in the box but a 1-0 half time score line was as much as Forest deserved.

The second period started as the first had ended with Forest on top. Lewis McGugan produced two pieces of magic but first saw an Earnshaw effort blocked after setting the Welshman up before the promising midfielder sent a vicious curling shot onto the top of the crossbar with Heinz Muller left standing. Joel Lynch saw a long-range effort turned over as the Reds continued to push.

Having not managed a decisive second goal Forest began to sit back a little as Barnsley pushed. Brendon Maloney did brilliantly to deny Macken with a last ditch tackle whilst the Tykes twice went close in added time when first Stephen Foster headed over from close range before a long-range free kick from De Souza had Camp scampering.

In the end the Reds held on much to the relief of Calderwood and the majority of fans.

Although this performance barely merited a win many Forest fans will feel this makes up for some excellent performances earlier in the season for which reward was not forthcoming. A first ever trip to the Ricoh Arena (or the Bruce Rioch arena if your Robin Chipperfield) gives Forest the chance to record back-to-back victories for the first time this season.

Forest: Camp, Moloney, Morgan, Wilson, Lynch, McGugan, Perch, Anderson (Thornhill 82), Garner (Reid 90), Earnshaw (McCleary 75), Tyson.

MOM: Brendon Maloney - why on earth has Chambers been preferred all season?

Tues Nov 25th: Doncaster Rovers 0-0 Nottingham Forest

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:03:00 GMT

The bottom two teams in the Championship met at the Keepmoat Stadium as Forest looked to atone for an appalling performance in losing to a poor Norwich side at the weekend.

Colin Calderwood was boosted by the return of Lewis McGugan from suspension but once again injuries hampered the Reds boss with Cohen and Thornhill the latest casualties.

Doncaster were first out of the blocks with Forest chasing shadows in the early stages in the midst of some excellent Rovers football. James Coppinger produced a brilliant first time effort from distance to leave Lee Camp a virtual spectator only to see his attempt cannon off the post and to safety. Reds defending appeared desperate at times but in fairness to Calderwood and his team they just about weathered the early storm.

After a shaky start Forest started to play. Joe Garner had a great chance but fired straight at Neil Sullivan whilst McGugan’s tame free kick was blocked by the wall after Nathan Tyson had been felled by a Rovers defender. Neil Sullivan was forced into a superb reflex save on the stroke of half time after Luke Chambers had done well to get on the end of a McGugan free kick.

Despite a promising first half showing the Reds once again failed to show up after the interval. A long range Tyson effort which many of the travelling contingent thought had sneaked in was about the best Forest could offer as fans again turned on Colin Calderwood.

Doncaster looked the most likely winners. It appeared as though the home team had snatched a late winner when a long-range Coppinger strike was spilled by Camp only for the officials to rule against the ball crossing the line. Substitute Stuart Elliott also did his best to embarrass Camp when a speculative 40 yard effort bounced narrowly over the cross bar with the Reds keeper’s heart in his mouth.

The full time whistle again brought a chorus of boos with Calderwood now rumoured to be on the brink of the sack.

After a poor, unimaginative second half performance a point was the most Forest deserved.

Forest: Camp, Chambers, Wilson, Morgan, Lynch, Anderson, Perch, McGugan (Byrne 89), Martin (Davies 75), Tyson, Garner (Earnshaw 82).

MOM: Wes Morgan

Sat Nov 22nd: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Norwich

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:07:00 GMT

Three points were a must as Forest entered a crunch clash against fellow strugglers Norwich needing a win with relegation rivals Southampton and Watford picking up victories earlier in the day.

The Reds were unchanged whilst Norwich included former Forest man Sammy Clingan and on loan striker Leroy Lita who was making his second appearance in the away dressing room at the City Ground this season.

Forest started poorly and it was Norwich who had the first chance of the evening. Lee Camp was forced to make a fine point blank save to deny David Bell with the Canaries winger in acres of space at the back post.

Eventually Forest came into the contest and the Reds received a massive boost on around the 20 minute mark when Gary Doherty saw red for a professional foul on Nathan Tyson. Matt Thornhill’s effort from the resultant free kick was well saved by David Marshall but within seconds disaster struck when Norwich took the lead via a swift counter attack. A cross from the right following a poor Kelvin Wilson clearance was volleyed home by the arriving Matthew Pattison whose celebrations earned the Canaries man a booking.

The pressure was firmly on Forest but after a couple of decent saves by Marshall, particularly from a Cohen header the Reds equalised when with half time approaching Paul Anderson took advantage of hesitation in the Norwich defence to stroke home with Marshall well out of position.

With a man advantage the onus was on Forest as the teams re-appeared after the break. However, the Reds produced a woeful second half showing in allowing a weakened Norwich side to steal an unlikely victory.

Chances were at an absolute premium and it is hard to pinpoint any Forest second half threat. A couple of decent long range efforts from Cohen and McLeary was about the best Calderwood’s side could muster up and the Reds survival hopes were dealt a major blow when a rare Norwich foray into opposition territory saw the Canaries take the lead for a second time when Chris Cohen and Luke Chambers between them somehow managed to divert a Leroy Lita cross into their own net with Lee Camp helpless.

The away side comfortably saw out the last 17 minutes with Forest shell shocked and unable to recover. A chorus of boos greeted Calderwood and his players at full time and all of the hard work over the last few weeks has now been undone.

Unless there is a dramatic improvement on this performance between now and the new year Forest will be plying their trade once again in the third tier of English football next season.

Forest: Camp, Chambers, Morgan, Wilson, Heath (Martin 75), Anderson, Perch, Thornhill (McCleary 46), Cohen, Tyson, Garner.

MOM: Paul Anderson

Sat Nov 15th: Bristol City 2-2 Nottingham Forest

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:40:00 GMT

Buoyed by an excellent performance in last weeks 1-1 draw with Birmingham, Forest made the tough looking trip to Bristol City confident of extending their unbeaten run to four games.

An unchanged starting line up was named with Carl Fletcher having to settle for a place on the bench, Joel Lynch still unwell and Lewis McGugan sitting out the second of a three game ban. Rob Earnshaw was again missing with a calf injury.

The first chance of the game came the home teams way when after a cross from the right had deceived Wilson and Chambers, Michael McIndoe saw a shot roll agonisingly past the post when the City midfielder should have hit the target.

With Nathan Tyson keen to show some of the form he apparently produced on the training ground this week, Forest were looking dangerous on the break. For the third successive away game it was the Reds who struck first when Tyson did brilliantly to evade several challenges down the left before squaring to Joe Garner who coolly placed the ball beyond Adriano Basso in the City goal.

Tyson and Paul Anderson were wreaking havoc down both flanks and with a little bit more quality in that final third, Forest could easily have extended their lead. Anderson broke free down the right only to fire across the face of goal with City struggling to deal with the pacy winger.

Forest were made to pay for their wastefulness with half time approaching. Good work from Dele Adebola saw the beast of a striker tee up Marvin Elliott who sent a scorcher of a shot in off the underside of the bar from distance to bring the home side level.

With a 1-1 half time score line just about fair, the Reds again came out guns blazing and within minutes were back in front. Tyson again used his pace to full advantage when latching onto a loose ball before beating Basso when one-on-one with the City keeper.

Having taken the lead the Reds began to dominate. Anderson was seeing lots of the ball but on far too many occasions the on loan Liverpool man’s final ball was frustrating. A couple of crosses almost deflected in with Basso scrambling whilst another swift counter attack saw Anderson play Garner in but in fairness, the ball was poor and City were able to stifle the attack with Garner forced wide.

Instead of scoring a decisive third goal to kill off a struggling City side, Forest were forced onto the back foot in the latter stages as the home team pressed. Despite having several opportunities to clear a set piece, the Reds were made to pay for sloppy defending when Liam Fontaine’s shot from the edge of the area crept in to level the scores again.

The last 5 minutes was end to end. Chambers long-range shot was well saved whilst Anderson again wasted a good position having looked to have been in on goal.

At the other end Lee Camp saved well from close range but as per Pride Park a couple of weeks ago, the Reds keeper once again proved to be the real hero when again saving a last minute spot kick after Luke Chambers clumsiness had appeared to have cost Forest a point.

A game the Reds dominated for the most part ended with Forest lucky to get a point. With some slightly less difficult looking fixtures to come, Forest must put together a run of wins to try and climb out of the drop zone. Three points is a must next week when Norwich visit the City Ground.

Forest: Camp, Chambers, Morgan, Wilson, Heath, Anderson, Perch, Thornhill (Fletcher 67), Cohen, Tyson, Garner (McCleary 77).

MOM: Nathan Tyson.

Sat Nov 8th: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Birmingham City

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:44:00 GMT

Relegated Birmingham City provided Forest’s latest Championship opposition as the Blues came to the City Ground on the back of two succesive league defeats.

With the Reds looking to build on much improved recent form Colin Calderwood’s hopes were hit with as many as six changes required from last weeks draw at Pride Park. Breckin, Lynch, Fletcher, McGugan, McLeary and Earnshaw were all missing for varying reasons as an inexperienced Forest side took the field.

Initially the Blues dominated with Forest struggling to get out of their own half in the early stages. It didn’t take long for the away side to break through. Having broken the offside trap James McFadden fired through the legs of Lee Camp from the tightest of angles to give Birmingham a deserved early lead.

Falling behind seemed to galvanise Forest and from here on in the Reds dominated. Nathan Tyson looked to have won his side a penalty only for the ref to decide an offence had taken place just outside the area. Set piece delivery from Chris Cohen was disappointing however whilst Paul Anderson missed Forest’s best chance of the half when firing at Taylor after neat footwork on the right.

The 2^nd half started as the first ended with the Reds on top. The home side grabbed a deserved equaliser when James Perch was on hand to head home after Birmingham had failed to clear a Cohen free kick.

Not content with a point Forest pressed further. Tyson was showing his best form of the season with the pacy striker crossing for Thornhill to steer narrowly over. Tyson himself had a great chance but could only scoop wide under pressure from 8 yards but it was Joe Garner who spurned the Reds best chance when firing straight at Taylor after good work from substitute McLeary

Blues second half chances were few and far between but Marcus Bent should have done better when the former Everton striker headed over from a good position little more than 6 yards out.

Overall, despite an excellent performance a point is scant reward after dominating a Birmingham side containing lots of Premier League experience. A tough looking trip to Bristol City is followed by several games Reds fans will view as ‘winnable’. However, Calderwood’s side must turn performances into wins and fast. More showings like this will give the Reds maximum opportunity of avoiding an unthinkable drop back into the 3^rd tier.

Forest: Camp, Chambers, Morgan, Wilson, Heath, Anderson (McCleary 72), Perch, Cohen, Thornhill, Garner (Martin 82), Tyson.

MOM: Wes Morgan - according to KPMG.

Sun Nov 2nd: D***y 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:14:00 GMT

The big day finally arrived as Nottingham Forest and 2800 expectant fans made the short trip across the A52 to take on D***y for the first time competitively since February 2005. Reds fans needed no reminding that their teams record at Pride(less) Park has conjured up just one point since the Sheepshaggers move from the Baseball Ground in 1997.

Forest were dealt a blow pre match with the news that influential midfielder Chris Cohen had been forced out with a training ground ankle injury. However, with Earnshaw and Garner once again fit to take their places up front confidence was high following the excellent win at Palace in midweek.

The first half will quickly be forgotten with chances at a premium for both teams. The Rams probably shaded it in terms of quality of chances with Rob Hulse almost forcing home at the far post before Nathan Ellington fired over when in a good position on the edge of the penalty area. Kris C*****s was a virtual spectator with any threat from the former Forest man nullified by right back James Perch. The Reds best moments of a drab first half came when Paul Anderson fired high and wide from distance whilst Earnshaw and Garner saw good chances denied by offside flags.

The second half could only get better and after a fast start to the second period it was Colin Calderwood’s men who drew first blood to send the visiting support into raptures. Having previously seen a low shot turned away by Steve Bywater in the D***y goal Lewis McGugan’s low cross was met by Luke Chambers and despite Bywater again making the save he was powerless to prevent Emmanuel Villa inadvertently turning the ball over his own line as Forest took the lead for the first time ever at Pride Park.

Having fallen behind the home side responded well. A dubious free kick award for a non-existent foul allowed C*****s to deliver a low ball into the box with Villa atoning for his earlier mistake in scoring from a seemingly offside position.

With D***y on top for the first time Forest’s task was made all the more harder when McGugan was sent off for what looked like a hard but fair tackle on Paul Green. Referee Stuart Atwell immediately brandished the red card although this wasn’t to be the first controversial decision of the afternoon.

With time running out Forest spent the closing minutes on the back foot as the Rams piled on the pressure. Lee Camp was forced into a couple of decent saves with dangerous crosses threatening to drop in with the Forest keeper scrambling.

A minute into added on time disaster appeared to have struck when Miles Addison looped a header home following a goalmouth scramble only to have his celebrations cut short by Atwell, who had already awarded a penalty for Luke Chambers handball. Up stepped Nazir Barazite who despite striking well saw his penalty superbly saved by adopted Forest fan Camp who had surely earned his team a point.

Forest were now at sixes and sevens defensively. After Camp had stooped to turn away a Villa header referee Atwell again became the centre of attention when disallowing what looked a certain winner after Addison had risen highest to power home a header.

For once this season the gods certainly shined down on Forest and despite one or two favourable decisions towards the end a point was no more than the Reds deserved. Four points from two away games represents a marked improvement on recent fortunes and fans can look forward to next weeks clash against Birmingham with some optimism.

Forest: Camp, Perch, Breckin, Morgan, Lynch, Anderson, Fletcher (Chambers 46), McGugan, McCleary (Thornhill 85), Garner (Tyson 68), Earnshaw

MOM: Lee Camp - Late heroics earned valuable point

Tues Oct 28th: Crystal Palace 1-2 Nottingham Forest

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:42:00 GMT

Rooted to the bottom of the Championship Forest made the long trip South of London to take on a Crystal Palace side that inflicted a 2-0 City Ground defeat on the Reds just a few short weeks ago.

After a promising debut at the weekend Joe Garner kept his place in the side and was joined up front by Rob Earnshaw who returned to the starting line up for the first time in a while. Elsewhere Ian Breckin earned a re-call with Kelvin Wilson injured whilst Carl Fletcher was ineligible under the terms of his loan deal with Palace.

As had been in the case in the previous meeting between the two sides Forest made all of the early running. With barely a minute on the clock Julian Speroni in the Palace goal was forced to make a save when tipping over an Earnshaw effort from 12 yards out. The Reds were denied a blatant penalty after Joe Garner was been upended in the Palace box only for ref Andy D’Urso to wave away the claims when a spot kick looked certain.

Forest continued to press. After a few near misses the deserved opening goal came just before the half hour mark when a Chris Cohen free kick from out on the right appeared to drift in at the far post despite claims from Breckin who may well claim his first goal of the season.

Palace were looking poor. A decent Paul Ifill chance was all they had to offer in a first period dominated by Forest. Earnshaw had a great chance to double the advantage but the Welshman shot tamely at Speroni despite appearing to have been impeded in the build up by a Palace defender.

The Reds appeared for the second half long before their hosts who may well have been on the end of a well renowned stern talking to from boss Neil Warnock.

As is usually the case Forest sat back initially after the break allowing Palace to push on. With half time substitute Shefqi Kuqi throwing his weight around up the front the home side looked more of a threat. Ifill volleyed wide from a good position but with Wes Morgan and Ian Breckin able to deal with most of what Palace had to offer the Reds began to sense a first away win of the season.

However, Forest being Forest you could always sense something could go wrong in what has so far been a season of hard luck stories for Colin Calderwood’s side. Having appeared to have been fouled deep inside Palace territory Nathan Tyson was penalised for a non existent shirt pull resulting in a long free kick being controlled on the chest by Kuqi who then swivelled to fire home from 20 yards out with Lee Camp slightly caught out.

Palace now sensed victory and with Forest rattled the home side pressed. However, despite a precarious league position and confidence at a low ebb Forest refused to budge. With time starting to run out James Perch saw a goal bound effort scrambled off the line but when Matt Thornhill challenged for the loose ball the ball rolled into an unguarded net to send the visiting support into raptures.

Some desperate defending followed as Palace pressed once more. However, it was Forest looking the more likely to add to their tally with Tyson able to take advantage of plenty of space in the Palace half. The Reds striker had several opportunities but much to the frustration of the Forest bench a series of bad decisions and poor efforts kept Palace in the game. Lewis McGugan wasted a glorious chance right at the death to seal the points whilst the final chance of the game came to Palace and Ifill once again only for the former Millwall man to fire harmlessly wide from the edge of the box.

The final whistle brought relieved celebrations from the travelling support and players alike. The result is a massive boost ahead of the Derby game at the weekend. If the Reds can produce a similar performance it is not beyond the realms of possibility for Forest to claim their first ever win at Pride Park.

Forest: Camp, Chambers, Morgan, Breckin, Lynch, McCleary (Davies 86), Perch, McGugan, Cohen, Earnshaw (Tyson 62), Garner (Thornhill 73).

MOM: Wes Morgan: Magnificent all night, headed, tackled, blocked and looked much happier alongside Breckin.

Sat Oct 25th: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Cardiff City

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:06:00 GMT

Forest returned to City Ground action for the second time in a week to take on Cardiff City looking to build on a 1-1 midweek draw against Ipswich Town

Despite stating that new signing Joe Garner was “miles away from starting a game” the former Blackburn and Carlisle man took his place in the starting line up with Colin Calderwood deciding to dispense with the services of Nathan Tyson and Andrew Cole following some disappointing goal returns of late. James Perch replaced the out of tune Luke Chambers with Calderwood knowing only a win would do to ease the mounting pressure.

Forest were to produce arguably their best showing of the season to date and Cardiff spent much of the first half on the back foot as the Reds piled on the pressure. The best first half chances fell to Garner who hit a post from close range whilst McGugan and Cohen wasted chances with both failing to hit the target despite clear sightings of goal. The visitors had their own first half opportunities most notably Jay Bothroyd who flashed a volley wide when a goal looked certain.

With Paul Anderson unable to take to the field after the half time interval Tyson came on looking to kick start what has so far been a lacklustre season for the Reds striker.

Chances again came and went to Forest. Garner saw a goal bound shot brilliantly blocked at source by a Cardiff defender whilst Gareth McLeary fired agonisingly wide seconds later.

Having dominated much of the game Forest were made to pay for their profligacy when Lewis McGugan needlessly brought down Stephen McPhail just inside the box allowing former Reds target Ross McCormack to fire home from the spot.

The goal seemed to deflate what had previously been a much more vibrant Forest side and it wasn’t until the last ten minutes before the Reds threatened again.

The best chance of the match fell to former Bluebirds striker Rob Earnshaw but after being put through via a glorious Carl Fletcher ball the welsh international saw his shot brilliantly turned away by Tom Heaton in the visitors goal.

The Reds were left to reflect on more points going down the pan as Cardiff fans celebrated joyously at the end. Things aren’t going to get any easier with successive away dates to come at Crystal Palace and Derby. Joe Kinnear’s reign at the City Ground came to an after a Pride Park defeat. Will Colin Calderwood suffer the same fate?

Forest: Camp, Perch, Morgan, Wilson (Chambers 52), Lynch, Anderson (Tyson 46), McGugan, Fletcher, Cohen, McCleary, Garner (Earnshaw 67).

MOM: Joe Garner - promising debut, unlucky not to start with a brace of goals.

Tues Oct 21st: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Ipswich Town

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:33:00 GMT

With games starting to come thick and fast, Ipswich Town were the visitors to the City Ground on Tuesday night with the Tractor Boys themselves yet to get going in the Championship this season.

For once changes were kept to a minimum with Colin Calderwood opting for just a change between the sticks bringing latest signing Lee Camp into the side in place of the rather unfortunate Paul Smith.

In the midst of a quiet opening. Gareth McCleary had a goal rightly chalked off for offside following a goalmouth scramble. The highlight of an otherwise drab first half came after around 25 minutes. Town’s Jonny Walters smacked a scorcher of a 30 yard effort against the underside of the bar possibly via the aid of a Camp finger tip with the visiting contingent celebrating what they thought was a contender for goal of the season.

By this point the visitors were well on top with Forest at times chasing shadows in the middle of the park. Despite producing some of the best passing football seen at this venue for quite a long time, clear cut chances were at a premium with Camp not really called upon to make any other significant saves.

After seeing off the initial Ipswich threat Forest improved in the build up towards half time. Paul Anderson wasted a great chance to open his account for the club when seeing a goal bound effort diverted wide by Richard Wright but from the resultant corner Gareth McCleary made no mistake when firing home powerfully from 22 yards. Reds fans thought their team had doubled the advantage after Nathan Tyson’s header squirmed over the line only to be ruled out once again by an offside flag.

For the first time in what seemed like an age, Forest went into the interval with a lead to defend but once again a shocking start to the second period undid all of the Reds hard work. Just minutes after the re-start Ipswich were rightly awarded a penalty when Alan Quinn was tripped by Paul Anderson allowing Tommy Miller to level up proceedings from the spot.

David Wright missed a good opportunity to give Town the lead before Calderwood decided he had seen enough and introduced Lewis McGugan in place of Andrew Cole to try and tighten up a midfield which had pretty much been second best through out the majority of the game.

To Calderwood’s credit, the change seemed to have an impact with Town’s territorial dominance somewhat reduced. Nathan Tyson had a chance to once again give Forest the lead but Richard Wright saved well at his near post.

A draw was probably a fair result but despite ending a run of four straight defeats the odd point isn’t really enough. Results elsewhere ensured the Reds slipped a further point adrift of safety and although another home game follows against Cardiff on Saturday, confidence is at a low ebb. We keep saying must win this, must win that but that elusive victory has yet to come. If Forest fail to pick up maximum points at the weekend and with two away games to follow it is difficult to see how a return to the third tier can be avoided.

Forest: Camp, Chambers, Wilson, Morgan, Bennett (Lynch 45), Anderson, Cohen, Fletcher, McCleary (Martin 74), Tyson, Cole (McGugan 66).

MOM: Carl Fletcher - tackled well and passed to a red shirt, Luke Chambers take note.

Sat Oct 18th: QPR 2-1 Nottingham Forest

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:34:00 GMT

With the international break out of the way and key players returning, Forest returned to Loftus Road to take on QPR for the first time since being consigned to League One football by the Hoops in April 2005.

Although personnel these days is vastly different the same cannot be said of the Reds fortunes in the Championship. After a disastrous start to life back in the second tier, manager Colin Calderwood has it all to do to prevent a second relegation in four years. Calderwood again opted to make changes with Paul Anderson finally making a long awaited debut and loanee Carl Fletcher drafted in to replace long term injury victim Guy Moussi.

James Perch failed to make the 16 and Ian Breckin was also conspicuous by his absence with the manager preferring another loanee Joel Lynch who took his place on the substitute’s bench. Lee Martin was omitted from the starting eleven after some disappointing form recently

Despite being rooted to the foot of the table, Forest produced possibly their most confident display of the season away from home in the first half with QPR looking rather ordinary. Wingers Paul Anderson and Gareth McCleary were seeing plenty of the ball out on the flanks but as so often has been the case this season, it just didn’t quite happen for the Reds in that final third. The best chances fell to Tyson and Anderson with the latter seeing a decent run and cross shot saved by home keeper Radek Cerny.

At the other end, the Forest back four were again doing its best to shoot itself in the foot with a couple of unforced errors for once going unpunished. Paul Smith almost let an innocuous looking shot squirm through his fingers whilst Kelvin Wilson’s back header could easily have bobbled into the net instead of Smith’s grateful arms.

Despite not creating a lot of chances in the first half, hopes were raised of at least getting a first point of the season on the road but once again a dreadful start to the second period ensured the Reds were to leave West London empty handed. Just minutes after the re-start a long throw from the right somehow found Hoops striker Angelo Belanta whose close range header bounced in via the underside of the cross bar.

Forest were now once again on the back foot. The inevitable second goal soon followed when the Reds again failed to sufficiently deal with another long throw from the right before the ball landed to R’s midfielder Akos Buzsaky who made no mistake in firing home from 20 yards out.

Despite plenty of huffing and puffing and a couple of substitutions, Forest rarely looked like breaching an organised home rearguard. The Reds best opportunity came when Chambers fired high, wide and not very handsome when it had looked easier to at least hit the target before Nathan Tyson saw an effort clawed away by Cerny.

With time running out the returning Lewis McGugan did eventually pull a goal back curling home a magnificent free kick but despite a mini rally, the home side perhaps deservedly held on.

Calderwood will be pleased with a slight improvement but with his side showing few signs of keeping a clean sheet and not enough goals at the other end it is looking like a long hard winter once again for Nottingham Forest.

Forest: Smith, Wilson, Bennett (Lynch 46), Chambers, Morgan, Fletcher (McGugan 73), Anderson (Davies 73), Cohen, Cole, McCleary, Tyson.
Subs Not Used: Martin, Thornhill.

MOM: Gareth McCleary: Good first half showing, caused problems but lacking consistency.

Sat Oct 5th: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Crystal Palace

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:40:00 GMT

Forest returned to the comforts of the City Ground to take on Crystal Palace knowing only victory would do as the Reds try to halt the slide which has seen us slip to the bottom of the table – something that we didn’t even have to endure in the dreadful 2004/05 relegation season.

After a decent showing at Hillsborough in midweek Colin Calderwood inexplicably decided to make as many as four changes with Ian Breckin and Andrew Cole the most notable absentees despite being two of Forest’s better performers on Tuesday night. Even more surprising was the recall for Wes Morgan who up until his sending off at Plymouth has not shown great form this season.

Forest started like a house on fire in the opening couple of minutes with Palace forced onto the back foot initially. The Reds forced several corners but having made such a bright start were hit by a sucker punch at the other end as Palace took the lead with their first shot of the game. Paul Ifill’s bullet of a shot from the edge of the D flew into the net to silence the home contingent.

Despite falling behind Forest continued to threaten. The best chances unfortunately fell to left-back Julian Bennett who failed to hit the target having got on the end of a couple of corners from the right.

The second half saw Forest continue to press but, as has so often been the case this season, the Reds were firing blanks in the opponents final third. With home support beginning to get edgy and frustrated it was Palace making most of the running and the longer the game wore on it was obvious where the next goal was going to come.

A long ball down the left drew keeper Paul Smith from his goal and having been caught in no-mans-land was helpless to prevent a perfectly judged chip by sub Shefqi Kuqi as Palace sealed the points with nine minutes left.

The second goal sparked a mass exodus from the City Ground with fans quickly turning on Colin Calderwood who knows his time is soon going to run out unless this alarming slump is arrested shortly.

The international break comes at a good time with one or two players likely to be fit for the next game at QPR. However, having suffered five defeats in a row on the road and with only one win in the opening ten games, it is difficult to see Forest picking anything up against the much fancied Loftus Road outfit.

Forest: Smith, Wilson, Morgan, Thornhill (Cole 60), Bennett, McCleary, Perch, Cohen, Moussi (Chambers 79), Martin (Davies 69), Tyson.

MOM: Garath McCleary

Tues Sept 30th: Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Nottingham Forest

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:52:00 GMT

A second away trip in a matter of days saw Forest make the somewhat shorter trip to Hillsborough to take on a Sheffield Wednesday side still coming to terms with life in the Championship despite being promoted three years ago from League One.

Joel Lynch came in for a debut in place of the suspended Wes Morgan whilst there were also recalls for Breckin and Thornhill.

In a poor opening period Forest again failed to stamp their authority on the match against an ordinary Sheffield Wednesday side who created the best chances in what was an uneventful first half. The best of these chances fell to Deon Burton who somehow contrived to head wide from 8 yards when it had looked easier to at least hit the target. At the other end the Reds created nothing in terms of goal scoring opportunity with James Perch in particular guilty of giving the ball away time after time in the middle of the park.

The deadlock was broken early in the second half when a hopeful long range effort by Owls midfielder Esajas took a wicked deflection off Ian Breckin and although Paul Smith got a decent hand on the ball it squirmed into the corner of the net.

Despite falling behind Forest actually improved from here on in and created several opportunities to get back into the game. Firstly Lee Grant in the Wednesday goal scooped a goal bound Joel Lynch header over the bar before again touching over an Andrew Cole header from the resultant corner. The best was saved till last though when Grant somehow palmed away another Cole effort after the former Man Utd man had turned his marker expertly in the box. Cole saw another effort trickle just wide by which time it was obvious it was not going to be Forest’s day.

Despite an encouraging second half showing Forest were again left to lick their wounds and only three points on Saturday against Crystal Palace will send the team into the international break with some heart.

Forest: Smith, Wilson, Breckin, Perch, Bennett (Martin 68), Lynch (Moussi 88), Chambers (McCleary 68), Cohen, Tyson, Cole, Thornhill.

MOM: Andrew Cole - unlucky not to break his duck and again head and shoulders above Tyson who continues to struggle.

Sat Sept 27th: Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Nottingham Forest

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:18:00 GMT

On a glorious late summer afternoon Forest made the trip south west to Home Park to take on a Plymouth side yet to win in front of their home support this season. Surely there wouldn’t be a better opportunity for the Reds to open their away win account for the season?

With Matt Thornhill banned and Rob Earnshaw hamstrung Andrew Cole came into the side with a point to prove having failed to impress thus far in the garibaldi.

In what was always going to be a scrappy game devoid of lots of quality Forest failed to create anything in the early stages despite some good positions and plenty of opportunity via set pieces. Messrs Cohen and Martin failed to provide any quality whatsoever from a succession of free kicks and corners whilst at the other end Plymouth were restricted mainly to half chances with Paul Smith hardly tested.

When you are struggling at the wrong end of the table you always sense something will go against you and this again proved to be the case when Forest conceded their latest in a long line of farcical goals which proved to be the difference between the two sides.

After failing to clear their lines following a goal mouth scramble one of Kelvin Wilson or Wes Morgan appeared to clear the ball against the shin of Rory Fallon before the ball zipped into the corner of the net leaving Paul Smith stranded.

Nathan Tyson had a good chance on the stroke of half time but having been released by Cole Tyson’s first touch took him away from goal before seeing a shot blocked by a combination of keeper and defender.

Forest improved in the second period and looked more capable of breaching what had been previously an untroubled Argyle back line. Cole saw a shot saved at the near post by Larrieu in the Plymouth goal whilst the same player saw an effort squirm across the face of goal to safety with Tyson unable to get a touch at the far post. Chris Cohen saw a free kick pushed wide but in truth that was all Forest had to offer against an organised home rearguard.

To make matters worse Wes Morgan was somewhat harshly sent off late on for a second booking much to the derision of Tyson and Cole who saw protests rewarded with yellow cards for their troubles.

All in all another frustrating away day and with Barnsley picking up a point against Southampton Forest now prop up the Championship. Unless results pick up and quickly manager Colin Calderwood will be on borrowed time with relegation back to League 1 simply not an option.

Forest: Smith, Chambers, Wilson, Morgan, Bennett, Perch (McCleary 46), Cohen, Moussi, Martin (Davies 67), Tyson, Cole.
Subs Not Used: Lynch, Breckin, Sinclair.

MOM: Andrew Cole - didnt set the world alight but looked more likely than anyone to make something happen.

Sat Sept 20th: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Charlton Athletic

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:58:00 GMT

Charlton returned to the City Ground for the first time since their FA Cup 3^rd round demise in January 2007, when of course two divisions separated both clubs.

Colin Calderwood again opted for change with Chambers, Bennett and Tyson all returning to the starting line up with Cole, Breckin and Mcleary having to make do with a place on the bench.

After a sluggish start Forest eventually found their rhythm and went on to dominate the majority of the first half. Earnshaw went closest when getting on the end of a Wes Morgan knock down before seeing Charlton keeper Nicky Weaver pull of a reaction save from point blank range.

With Forest again looking good in possession it was so often that final ball letting the Reds down with Cohen and Tyson most guilty of wasting good positions to set up a team mate. Lee Martin produced some outstanding footwork to glide past three dumbstruck Charlton defenders before curling a shot from an angle just wide when perhaps the better option was to cross for waiting red shirts.

The home faithful were disappointed to hear the half time whistle having again seen their team unable to make inroads against what seemed like inferior opposition.

Charlton improved in the second half as Forest failed to re-produce their excellent early football. Having been perhaps fortunate to escape a first half red card defender Kelvin Wilson somehow escaped a second booking when taking out Luke Varney from behind whilst Matt Thornhill’s penalty area handball went unpunished much to the frustration of Addicks boss Alan Pardrew.

With Forest still lacking that end product the day was summed up when Thornhill sent a delightful low ball across the 6 yard line only to see Tyson somehow fail to connect which would have almost certainly lead to an opening goal. Seconds later however, Thornhill’s frustration got the better of him when the young midfielder picked up a deserved second yellow card after clumsy challenge near the touch line.

With a man advantage Charlton sensed late victory. Reds keeper Paul Smith, despite not having had a great deal to do produced a world class save to deny Andy Gray when the former Forest man rose highest from around 10 yards out.

Although another two points have gone begging Calderwood will be pleased to end a run of four straight defeats in all competitions.

With trips to Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday on the horizon Forest must improve their away form fast as by the time Crystal Palace visit the City Ground in two weeks time the Reds could well be propping up the league table.

Forest: Smith, Chambers (Thornhill 46), Wilson, Morgan, Bennett, Perch, Cohen, Moussi, Martin (McCleary 65), Tyson, Earnshaw (Cole 79).

MOM: Paul Smith - fantastic late save to earn a valuable point

Tues Sept 16: Preston 2-1 Nottingham Forest

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:18:00 GMT

Hot on the heels of the disappointing home reverse to Burnley, Forest made the trip northwest to take on Preston North End who have made a flying start to the season under former Everton assistant Alan Ervine.

In a bid to freshen things up Colin Calderwood opted to bring Breckin, McCleary and Cole into the starting 11 as Chambers, Heath and Tyson made way. Cohen and Wilson moved to left and right back respectively whilst Breckin partnered Morgan at the heart of the defence. Up front Cole partnered Earnshaw whilst McCleary and Martin were deployed as wingers with Perch and Moussi holding.

With the 5-1 mauling at Wolves still at the back of players and fans minds Forest made a tentative start with Preston making most of the early running. A couple of half chances from outside the area saw Paul Smith scrambling whilst an inadvertent deflection following another effort from distance fortunately landed in the safe arms of the Forest keeper who would have been helpless had the ball been to either side of him.

As the half wore on Forest began to grab their own foothold in the game as Preston were forced onto the back foot. Earnshaw saw a free kick sail just wide before a good run and cross by Martin had the PNE back line fretting. Possibly the best Reds chance of the first period saw Chris Cohen fire a bullet of a shot from 20 yards which Andy Lonergan did well to see never mind tip over the bar.

After a decent opening period all of the hard work was to be undone as the home side took the game via the scruff of its neck after the re-start. One of the softest goals you are ever likely to see at this level handed PNE the lead when after a harmless looking corner had been floated in, Youl Mawene had the freedom of Deepdale to divert a weak looking header towards goal which somehow rolled into an unguarded net with Smith and his defenders playing statues.

The goal sprang North End into life and in truth they could have scored 4 or 5 in the opening 15 minutes of the second half. Inevitably goal number two followed when Neil Mellor stooped to head home a right wing cross from close range.

Unable to keep the ball Forest looked rattled. Only wasteful finishing from PNE kept the score down with Forest at sixes and sevens.

Despite being two down Forest weren’t out of it. A Lee Martin cross from the right saw an unchallenged Mawene head into his own net to bring Forest back into the contest.

The goal galvanised Forest and the Reds should really have been able to take something from the game from here. Earnshaw wasted a glorious opportunity when firing high into the stand whilst well placed and Tyson should have done better when in acres of space in the Preston half. The home side just about managed to scramble a couple of late crosses away before the final whistle sounded to signal another defeat.

Although performances remain OK not enough points are being gained. A similar result against Charlton on Saturday could see panic set in on Trentside.

Forest: Smith, Morgan (Chambers 80), Wilson, Breckin, Perch, Martin (Thornhill 80), Cohen, Moussi, McCleary, Cole (Tyson 72), Earnshaw.
Subs Not Used: Roberts, Sinclair.

MOTM: Chris Cohen

Sat Sept 13th: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Burnley

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:48:00 GMT

Forest returned to action after the international break looking to get back on track following their mauling at Molineux 14 days ago.

Despite a welcome break the City Ground injury crisis deepened this week with the news that Julian Bennett is set to be ruled out for the next 3 games and Lewis McGugan suffering a set back as he bids to return from an early season injury. There is still no sign of Paul Anderson and Aaron Davies also remains sidelined with the calf injury picked up against Morecambe in the Carling Cup.

With Bennett ruled out Colin Calderwood handed a league debut to youngster Joe Heath after deciding against using Chris Cohen in an unfamiliar left back role whilst Kelvin Wilson also returned to the starting line up.

Forest started well and played some really good football in the opening half an hour. Nathan Tyson wasted a golden opportunity to give the home side the lead but blazed high and wide following a run and pass by Cohen.

At the other end Burnley were offering precious little as Forest continued to pass the ball with a plum, something which Colin Calderwood’s team is becoming renowned for after a bright start to life back in the Championship.

Having wasted the chance to take the lead against a rather lack lustre Clarets side Forest were taught a harsh lesson about life at a higher level when Burnley took the lead against the run of play through Graham Alexander who struck an unstoppable shot into the top corner from 25 yards out.

The goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Reds and despite Rob Earnshaw being denied by a good save by The Beast in the visitor’s goal Calderwood will have been happy to hear the half time whistle.

Forest started the second half as they had the first as Burnley were again forced onto the back foot. The inevitable equaliser followed when Earnshaw was on hand to tap home after a Burnley defender appeared to head against his own post.

With momentum now firmly with the home side there appeared to only be one winner. Numerous times Forest got into good positions but time and time again that final ball and finish seemed to be lacking.

At this level you will be made to pay for profligacy and with Robbie Blake being brought into the fray Burnley upped the ante. After Wes Morgan was deemed to have handled Graham Alexander whacked home a spot kick to hand Burnley the lead for a second time.

This time Forest were unable to respond and are left to reflect on a second successive league defeat.

To add insult to injury Derby claimed their first win of the season and jumped above the Reds who occupy 21^st place in the table.

Smith, Chambers (McCleary 80), Morgan, Wilson, Heath (Cole 80), Martin, Perch, Moussi, Cohen, Tyson, Earnshaw.
Subs Not Used: Roberts, Breckin, Thornhill.

MOM: Guy Moussi

Sat 30 Aug 08: Wolverhampton 5-1 Nottingham Forest

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:46:00 GMT

Well, where do i start?

Forest made the short trip across the Midlands to take on a Wolves side flying high in the table looking to build on the excellent performances produced against Watford and Sunderland recently

Although Molineux is far from a happy hunting ground for the Reds few would have predicted the utter capitulation which saw Wanderers race into a fully deserved 4-0 half time lead.

Things had actually started promisingly for Forest with loanee Lee Martin forcing home keeper Wayne Hennessey into a smart save following good work from Tyson and Earnshaw.

At the other end Wolves were looking dangerous and with wide men Michael Kightly and Matt Jarvis looking in electric form the signs were ominous for the visitors. On 14 minutes the deadlock was broken. Former Derby County man David Jones had the freedom of Molineux to stroke home from around 20 yards after good work from Chris Iwelumo.

Having taken the lead Wolves did not look back. After a couple of close shaves following poor defending and numerous set pieces not being dealt with properly Forest's indecision cost them a 2nd goal when Paul Smith appeared to punch another dangerous set play against the head of Wes Morgan before the ball rolled into an unguarded net with Smith stranded.

Enter Michael Kightly. The highly rated England U21 international was by now taking the game via the scruff of its neck. Having seen a 25 yard thunderbolt rattle the cross bar the Wolves man made no mistake the 2nd time as he sent a bullet of a shot from an identical position in off the underside of the cross bar.

Forest were shell shocked. Before they could regain composure it was 4. The equally impressive Matt Jarvis who had been taunting and teasing the hapless Luke Chambers all afternoon sent a sizzling low cross towards the near post for an unmarked Chris Iwelumo to fire home with Breckin and Morgan nowhere to be seen.

The 4th goal and subsequent half time whistle was the que for some visiting fans to depart with the only question remaining how many Wolves would get.

Surprisingly Calderwood sent out the same 11 players to try and redeem themselves but it really was just a question of time before Wolves added to their tally.

Forest did actually manage to grab a consolation early in the 2nd half after Richard Stearman diverted a corner into his own net but it was scant reward for what had been a dreadful showing.

Back at the other end the irrepressible Kightly again made Forest's defending look pedestrian at best in ghosting past several half hearted looking challenges before curling a superb left foot shot into the top corner.

Only a world class save from Paul Smith denied Wolves a deserved 6th goal with manager Mick Mccarthy taking mercy on the battered and bruised Reds by withdrawing Silvain Ebanks Blake, Kightly and Jarvis before the end.

Despite good home form it most certainly is back to the drawing board for Calderwood as the Reds manager tries to shore up a backline which has now conceded 10 goals in its last 3 league outings.

A new full back or 2 would not go a miss.

MOTM: Caygill for trying to rip the seat in front of him out after Wolves 4th goal.

Forest: Smith, Chambers (Wilson 71), Morgan, Breckin, Bennett, Perch (McCleary 71), Guy Moussi, Cohen, Tyson (Cole 71), Earnshaw, Martin.
Subs Not Used: Thornhill, Roberts

Wed 27 Aug 08: Nottingham Forest 1 Sunderland 2 (A.E.T.)

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:18:00 GMT

Nottingham Forest went out of the Carling Cup after losing 2-1 to Sunderland but it took the Mackems extra time to overcome a battling Reds side.

After a nervy first five minutes where Forest seemed to give Roy Keane's side a bit too much respect, the Reds got into their stride and had an excellent spell of pressure.

It was Sunderland however who were creating the better chances and it took an excellent touch from Paul Smith to deny Djibril Cisse as the Frenchman saw his left foot shot fire off the post and away to safety after Wes Morgan had lost his footing.

Chris Cohen, who covered virtually every blade of grass on the city ground turf throughout the match, had a half chance when he got on the end of a knock down but he didn't connect properly with his shot and it was easily gathered by Craig Gordon.

Arguably Forest's main chance of the first period fell to Matt Thornhill but his header went over Gordon's crossbar and into the always impressive Sunderland away following.

Sunderland could and maybe should have taken the lead when Dean Whitehead broke free from Liam Miller's pass and went one-on-one with Smith but he was equal to the challenge and made a good save.

Forest again looked sharp after the break and Earnshaw couldn't quite get a good enough touch on Thornhill's cross. He made up for it on the hour mark however when he took a free-kick from almost identically where he hit the post during the Watford game but this time it fizzed into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

Former Forest midfielder Andy Reid, who surprisingly got a poor reception, should have equalised as Sunderland pressed for that elusive goal but his effort at the far post from only 8 yards out hit the side netting when it looked easier to score.

The Forest fans thought it was going to be their night but the players were beginning to tire and with only two minutes remaining, Sunderland grabbed their equaliser. The ball was turned away to safety by Smith once more but instead of smacking the ball into row Z, Moussi mis-hit his clearance.

The ball fell for Diouf who struck a low effort towards goal and former Manchester United defender David Bardsley was on hand to turn the ball into the corner to send the tie into extra time. Thornhill could have won it in the dying seconds but he failed to connect properly with his header and it went wide for a goal kick.

Sunderland took the lead for the first time in the first half of extra time. Grant Leadbitter went through on goal with the players looking shattered but Paul Smith parried his shot only for the ball to fall at David Healy's feet who tapped the ball home to score on his Mackem's debut and make it 2-1.

Forest huffed and puffed but couldn't seem to break Sunderland down. Finally right at the death, a Robert Earnshaw free-kick when it seemed likely he would go for goal again found the head of Luke Chambers but his looping header hit the crossbar with Craig Gordon stranded.

A good performance from the Garibaldi Reds but they couldn't quite hold on in 90 minutes. On a night when everyone wearing green was thinking of the great man himself, it was perhaps another man dressed in green - the referee, who had an effect on the match with a number of 50/50 decisions going the way of the Premiership side.

MOTM: Paul Smith - made some smashing saves and was unlucky with both goals after making good stops.

Sat 23 Aug 08: Nottingham Forest 3 Watford 2

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:40:00 GMT

Robert Earnshaw scored his third goal of the season as Nottingham Forest gained their first win in the Championship.

It was a five-goal thriller at the City Ground and the Reds came out on top against Aidy Bothroyd’s Watford side.

The game was fast flowing and end-to-end which was a great advertisement for Championship football. Rasiak went close with a header and Jon Harley’s overhead kick went over the bar before Forest took the lead after 10 minutes.

Guy Moussi won the ball well in the centre of midfield and found Chris Cohen. His ball found on-loan forward Lee Martin who struck a superb 20-yard shot which beat Mart Poom in the Hornet’s goal to make it 1-0.

"Forest could have made it two when Chris Cohen used his strength to muscle his way into the box but decided to go for goal at the front post instead of squaring the ball to Earnshaw who would have had a simple tap-in."

Earnshaw again went close with a long range effort before Watford managed to equalise after 22 minutes.

Jon Harley hit a low cross from a corner which eluded all the Reds defence. The ball reached Leigh Bromby who back-heeled a shot towards goal forcing Paul Smith into a superb low save but the ball only rebounded kindly to his namesake Tommy Smith who guided the ball into the far corner.

"Forest went into a deserved half-time lead though when a great through ball by Moussi met the on-running Earnshaw who lifted the ball over the advancing Poom and into the back of the net before his trademark celebratory flip in front of the A-Block."

The Hornets got level again on the hour mark and it was Tommy Smith once more. Bennett found himself marking two men and when Lloyd Doyley overlapped the full back and fired a low cross to the far post, Smith was lurking to divert the ball into the corner in front of the ecstactic away following.

The Reds went into the lead for the third and final time though through substitute Nathan Tyson. He is unlikely to score an easier goal all season but a lot of the credit should go to Robert Earnshaw.

It was his free-kick from the edge of the box that curled around and over the wall beating Poom but rebounding off the post and across the face of goal leaving Tyson with a simple tap-in to make it 3-2.

Earnshaw and Tyson both dragged shots wide towards the end in an attempt to finish the game off but the final whistle came and signaled an important three points ahead of a tricky looking trip to promotion hopefuls Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday with the Reds also facing Premiership Sunderland in the Carling Cup inbetween.

MOTM: Robert Earnshaw – worked hard upfront scoring the second goal and had a major influence in the winning goal.

FOREST: P Smith, Chambers, Bennett, Wilson, Breckin, Cohen, Moussi, Perch, Earnshaw (Sinclair 82), Martin (Cole 87), McCleary (Tyson 66). Subs not used: Thornhill, Roberts

Sat Aug 16: Swansea City 3-1 Nottingham Forest

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:19:00 GMT

After a promising start to life in the Championship, Forest made the trip to the Liberty Stadium on Saturday knowing they would have to improve drastically on the performance produced in the corresponding fixture a year ago to have any chance of reward against the League One Champions.

With attacking options again at a premium, new boy Lee Martin came in for a league debut replacing Arron Davies in the only change from last Sunday’s goal less draw against Reading.

As expected Swansea flew out of the traps looking to make up for last weeks disappointment of a 2-0 defeat at Charlton as Forest struggled to get out of their own half in the early stages. The Swans were looking particularly dangerous down both flanks with Chambers and Bennett being given a torrid time by Tom Butler and Leon Britton.

Having completely dominated the early part of the game the inevitable opening goal followed on 9 minutes when, after another mazy run from Leon Britton, the Swans man sent a sizzling shot against the post before the ball bounced back somewhat cruelly off Smith and into the net to give the home side a fortunate albeit deserved lead.

The Swans continued to push with Forest looking ragged in all departments. Only a couple of decent saves from Smith kept the score down as Forest time after time gave away possession in their own half.

With certain sections of the away support already on their teams back, Forest showed great character towards the end of the first half and despite having been second best for much of the period, a bit of magic from loan star Martin saw the Man Utd man cross from the right for Perch to stretch out a leg and steer into an empty net.

Having perhaps been somewhat lucky to go into the interval on level terms, Forest started the 2^nd half as Swansea had the first in making the early running. Earnshaw missed a great chance to open his league account for the club when blasting wide from close range after Swansea has failed to clear a free kick from the left.

The miss was to prove costly as with around 20 minutes left and the game seemingly heading for yet another Liberty Stadium stalemate, Swansea were awarded a penalty when Butler was tripped (much to the derision of Calderwood) by one of 3 or 4 Forest defenders chasing him. Although Ferrie Bodde’s spot kick was initially saved by Smith, the Swans midfielder easily stroked home the rebound with the Reds keeper again helpless on the floor.

With time beginning to run out, boss Calderwood rung the changes although the decision to take Cohen off was a surprise with the ex-Yeovil man looking as likely as anyone to forge a hole in the Swansea rearguard. Martin saw another mazy run and dribble end with a superb save by De Vries with the ball seemingly heading for the corner of the net.

A swift counter attack lead by Mark Gower saw the ex-Southend man cross for Spanish substitute Pintado to brilliantly flick into the far corner to finish the game as a contest with Forest caught short in pushing forward for an illusive equaliser.

Despite a disappointing result Reds fans have cause for hope but away form is bound to be a worry with tough trips to come. Wolves away in 2 weeks time will be one hell of a test.

MOTM: Smith - Kept the score down in the first half. Unlucky with the first goal and penalty save. No chance with the 3rd.

(4-3-3) Smith, Chambers, Wilson, Morgan, Bennett, Perch, McGugan, Cohen (McCleary 80), Moussi (Newbold 87), Martin, Earnshaw.
Subs Not Used: Roberts, Breckin, Thornhill.

Booked: Moussi, Bennett.

Goals: Perch 35.

Att: 16,611

Referee: Paul Taylor (Hertfordshire).