West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Nottingham Forest (EFL Championship) 15.02.20

Nottingham Forest scored a late leveller to earn a point at table topping WBA in what was a tasty action-packed encounter at the Hawthorns today.

In a tense first half the home sides Jake Livermore looked lucky to get away with a high foot on Yuri Ribeiro with the Referee missing the incident which many in the ground thought should have been a red card. The Baggies eleven v eleven eventually making Forest pay after Lewis Grabban should have put the Reds in the lead with his third glaring miss in as many weeks. On 37 minutes Matheus Pereira found Sheffield United loanee Callum Robinson who took a touch before curling right footed past Brice Samba with the Frenchman stranded on foot.

Forest themselves pressed in aid to get back in the game and on the stroke of half time Sammy Ameobi curled a left footed cross into the six-yard box as Kyle Bartley outstretched a foot and diverted into his own net with Grabban hovering in behind.

In the second half league leaders West Brom pressed again with Samba saving from Krovinovic and Livermore to keep things all square but the Baggies restored their lead on 65 in an almost carbon copy of the Reds goal from the opposite side. Livermore cutting back a cross from the right with Tobias Figueiredo beating Robson Kanu to the ball only to see it roll past Samba who again could do nothing but stand agonisingly watching.

At the other end Forest might have had a penalty when Lolley raced down the right and flicked the ball up against the hand of Bartley with the Referee and his linesmen again unable to spot the incident. Moments later it could have been 3-1 when substitute Grosicki crossed low and Figueiredo again outstretched a boot this time flashing the ball inches wide of his own posts. The Portuguese man close to his third own goal since the start of the year.

As the minutes ticked Forest however pushed and pushed and as a half cleared centre found Ben Watson he tapped into the advanced Matty Cash who evaded his marker and blasted a right footed shot across the goalkeeper into the roof of the net to earn the Reds a dramatic injury time equaliser.

There was still time for more drama as West Brom thought they had scored in the 96^th minute when a free kick caused havoc in the box, Robinson prodding past the keeper only for it to hit his own man Bartley on the line for the linesman to flag offside. Replays later showing the ball probably crossed the line, little luck for Forest who were denied a penalty and thought Livermore should earlier have been sent off.

In the end a good point for Forest as teams around them in the playoffs slipped up but with Leeds back to winning ways the Reds are now four points from the automatic places whilst two above Bristol City in seventh as the Reds next face QPR on Saturday.

Following the game a happy Coach Sabri Lamouchi said “I’m so proud of the performance and of the mentality of my players because we’ve twice had to come back from a goal behind. We played with character and with personality but most importantly we didn’t give up.”

West Bromwich Albion: Johnstone, O’Shea, Ajayi, Bartley, Townsend, Livermore, Sawyers, Krovinovic (Harper 90), Pereira (Phillips 72), Robson-Kanu (Grosicki 84), Robinson.

Nottingham Forest: Samba, Cash, Figueiredo, Worrall, Ribeiro, Sow (Semedo 70), Watson, Lolley, Silva (Walker 80), Ameobi (Diakhaby 70), Grabban.

Venue: The Hawthorns (25,117)

*Image @NFFC a stunning strike by Matty Cash earned Forest a last gasp point against the leaders.