T.R.O.L.I. From the BBC (and should possibly go on the "Media don't like us thread):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/12945047.stmBBC Sport Forest equalised seven minutes before the break when McGugan turned Mikele Leigertwood inside the area and fell over the midfielder's leg.
I thought it was Harte who conceded the first penalty?
Allyh84T.R.O.L.I. From the BBC (and should possibly go on the "Media don't like us thread):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/12945047.stmBBC Sport Forest equalised seven minutes before the break when McGugan turned Mikele Leigertwood inside the area and fell over the midfielder's leg.
I thought it was Harte who conceded the first penalty?
How can you confuse a black man with Ian Harte?
Allyh84T.R.O.L.I. From the BBC (and should possibly go on the "Media don't like us thread):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/12945047.stmBBC Sport Forest equalised seven minutes before the break when McGugan turned Mikele Leigertwood inside the area and fell over the midfielder's leg.
I thought it was Harte who conceded the first penalty?
How can you confuse a black man with Ian Harte?
Allyh84
How can you confuse a black man with Ian Harte?
Sarah StarFading Forest have their short-fallings ruthlessly exposed
AS they took a pre-match stroll through Nottingham's Old Market Square, Reading's players looked a little like a group of foreign tourists who had become lost trying to find the castle.
Led by Brian McDermott, a man who looks more like a friendly history teacher than a football manager, they hardly cut the image of a team of footballers who were keenly focused on getting the job done, as they shuffled along aimlessly.
Unfortunately, for Nottingham Forest at least, appearances can be deceptive.
Because, on Saturday, Reading provided a clear cut demonstration of all the qualities that are required in a side hoping to challenge for promotion – while ruthlessly exposing the short-fallings of a Forest team whose own aspirations seem to be fading by the minute.
They might have shuffled around the city centre sights with a vague look of disinterest a few hours before. But once they stepped onto the pitch they were ruthlessly focused.
This was a match Billy Davies' side might easily have won. But, instead, their opponents ultimately mustered the character and determination to pull off a victory that left Forest's play-off hopes significantly dented.
Prior to kick-off, Reading's Jay Tabb spoke of the tremendous depth of squad and the spirit that exists within it. The Royals, he said 'have at least two players available to play in every position and we all fight for those places'.
As if to demonstrate that, Tabb never made it onto the City Ground pitch off the bench, although he was among the first to race onto the pitch at the final whistle, to join the celebrations following a result that could prove to be a landmark for both sides, for very different reasons.
In contrast, Forest were forced to draft a half-fit Guy Moussi back into a team that had been left bereft of defensive midfield options by a frustrating blend of injury, suspension and transfer market failures. Rather than having two players available in every position, in some, Forest are currently struggling to muster up one.
In fairness, the Frenchman was Forest's best player, for the hour he was able to manage before tiring dramatically, following a typically swashbuckling, toiling display.
When Burnley visit tomorrow, Moussi may not be fit to play a second game in such a short space of time, after being sidelined for two months with a torn thigh muscle, skipper Paul McKenna continues to struggle with a groin problem and Chris Cohen remains, controversially, suspended, for another two matches.
All of which leaves Davies with a significant headache in midfield.
But the manager's biggest issue may yet be how to restore self-confidence into a side that has now failed to win in nine matches.
Within that run there have been performances that have merited more – and Saturday can be included in that bracket.
And, while Forest may have done enough to have deserved a share of the spoils on Saturday, this is still not the same side that, just a few months ago, was churning out results with the same brand of ruthless efficiency that Reading had this weekend.
In fact, in the last three matches, one of the main qualities that had made Forest such a force to be reckoned with during their climb up to second in the table has deserted them completely.
While they might have scored six goals in three games to address their previous lack of cutting edge at one end of the pitch, the issue now lies at the other where they have now conceded 11 goals during the same period.
That statistic is put into stark perspective when you consider that, in their previous 37 games, Lee Camp had been beaten only 32 times.
In fact, until January, Forest had conceded more than one goal in a match on only three occasions, during the first half of the campaign.
That was a telling factor, when you consider that 11 of Forest's wins have come by the margin of a single goal.
But now – and on Saturday in particular – they seemed helpless to stem the tide.
As Davies lamented afterwards, no team should expect to lose, having scored three goals at home.
But that is exactly what happened as, time and again, Reading refused to be beaten, until they ultimately emerged victorious in injury time.
On Tuesday night, when Reading scraped a 2-1 win over Preston at the Madejski Stadium, full-backs Andy Griffin and Ian Harte had seemed to be the obvious weak link.
Suffering a crippling lack of pace, it seemed an area that Forest might be able to exploit.
It did not quite turn out that way, however as, following a harsh free-kick awarded against Chris Gunter after Shane Long had gone down like a felled redwood on the edge of the box, following the slightest of contacts, Harte stepped up to deliver an unstoppable shot high into the corner of Camp's net.
Forest equalised when the quick feet of Lewis McGugan lured Mikele Leigertwood into a trip, with Kris Boyd converting from the spot.
After the break, McGugan laid off the ball for Robert Earnshaw to provide a trademark finish, lashed in off the foot of the post, to put Forest ahead for the only time in the game, in the 51st minute.
And that lead lasted only three minutes, before Jam Karacan sent a looping header over the keeper, from the edge of the box, after Harte had angled in a delicious corner.
With Moussi, understandably, tiring, Forest's midfield was hardly packed with defensive strength, with McGugan, Radi Majewski and Garath McCleary – as well as Nathan Tyson, who replaced Moussi in the 65th minute – all more attack-minded players. And this showed as Forest's back four found themselves with less and less protection.
Although, there was some degree of good fortune involved when, after Camp had punched clear a shot from Zurab Khizanishvili, the ball fell kindly for Jimmy Kebe to lash home from close range.
Forest should have had a penalty when substitute Dele Adebola was hacked down at the knees in the box.
But referee Craig Pawson – whose inconsistency must have frustrated both sides – made amends by awarding Forest a second spot-kick, that was probably less clear cut, after Gunter fell under a slight push from Griffin.
When McGugan converted, in the 88th minute, it seemed certain that the match would end in a draw.
But Reading had other ideas and, when Forest failed to prevent a quick free-kick being taken, Karacan was sent racing into space down the right to deliver a telling cross which Simon Church is claiming to have applied the final touch to – and is likely to hear little argument from Luke Chambers, who was also sliding in to challenge.
The drama still wasn't over as Gunter handled in the box to earn Reading an injury-time penalty, which saw Long denied brilliantly by Camp.
In little over a month's time, Forest will still be hoping to be taking a trip of their own, down to the capital for the play-off final.
But, if that is going to happen, there must be a dramatic change of fortunes. And it has to begin tomorrow.
Arch I haven't heard the new guy, but it's an a priori truth that no one on the planet is worse than Dellor. I'd rather have someone who can't speak English.
peterroyal76 Surely this must be the most biased match report ever?
Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot] and 273 guests
