Forest Edge Nearer Playoff Goal

Peterborough United 0-1 Nottingham Forest (EFL Championship) 23.04.22

Steve Cooper’s promotion chasers put in another, workman-like performance on Saturday afternoon when away to Peterborough United in the Sky Bet Championship.

Victory, conformed by a goal shortly before the interval from Sam Surridge, maintained the Reds’ hopes of automatic promotion, whilst relegating Grant McCann’s Posh side in the process.

In a first-half that was more about bookings, that clear-cut chances, for both sides, it would not be until around the half hour mark the visitors first, real chance arrived; Brennan Johnson made a strong drive through Posh before playing in Philip Zinckernagel, on the right, the Dane’s effort, from a tight angle, fired straight at home ‘keeper, David Cornell.

Shortly before the goal, Johnson would play in Surridge, but his burst into the box was stopped by Josh Knight before, on the stroke of half-time, the Forest number sixteen struck the only goal of the game.

The usual suspects linked up, this time Zinckernagel slipping Johnson in on the overlap, whose cross is met by Surridge at the back post, who heads back across goal into the far corner, and with it an interval lead.

An early chance fell to the Reds at the start of the second, Zinckernagel playing in Surridge, but the shot is blocked, before Ryan Yates did the same for Forest’s Great Dane, who curls wide of goal.

Jack Marriott, a half-time substitution for Posh, would see an effort from outside the area, hit straight at Brice Samba in the visiting goal, before Zinckernagel sets Johnson away, again blocked.

With chances hard to come by, an in-swinging corner from loanee, James Garner, was headed over by Yates just after the hour mark, whilst Jack Colback saw an effort palmed behind by Cornell with twenty to go.

The bookings continued throughout the second period, as did the blocks on Forest shots, Garner releasing late substitute, Lewis Grabban, who cut inside from the left, but to no avail; Samba would make a late save from Harrison Burrows, before Grabban, who’s cameo was cut short, saw a goal ruled out for offside with five minutes left.

Another Grabban effort, this time from Joe Lolley’s cross on the left, was sent wide, before the Forest striker was brought off with an injury with a few minutes remaining, replaced by Cafu, the game petering out and being settled by that one goal.

As hosts Peterborough would find themselves relegated to League One following defeat to the Reds, Cooper’s charges have their sights set on automatic promotion, with four games remaining.

A seventh win in eight outings sees the Reds holding fourth spot, five points behind second place Bournemouth, whilst needing just a point, from those remaining games, to secure a place in the play-offs.

Twelve points currently separate Bournemouth (78) in second, and Millwall (66) in seventh, Cooper’s Reds in pole position, to continue their charge up the table, ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Championship leaders, Fulham Athletic.

Peterborough United: Cornell, Knight, Edwards, Kent, Poku, Fuchs (Randall 66), Taylor, Burrows, Szmodics, Clarke-Harris, Jones (Marriott 46).

Nottingham Forest: Samba, Worrall, Figueiredo, McKenna, Spence, Yates, Garner, Colback, Zinckernagel (Lolley 61), Johnson, Surridge (Grabban 74 (Cafu 89))

Venue: London Road (12,890)