Nottingham Forest 0-3 Millwall (EFL Championship) 06.03.20

Nottingham Forest were thumped at home by Millwall in a 3-0 defeat that all but ends any hope of automatic promotion for the Reds.

Whilst Sabri Lamouchi’s men are for now six points adrift of those outside the playoffs they lie 8 points adrift of second placed Leeds having played a game more than all those around them bar Millwall.

A first half Matt Smith hat trick took the Lions to seventh in the table and just two points from the playoff zone as Millwall enjoyed their biggest Championship away win since 2012 when yes, you guessed it they beat Nottingham Forest at the City Ground 4-1.

It all started going badly for the reds on twenty minutes when left back Murray Wallace was given time to cut in and pick a cross for Smith to head home with three players around him all standing watching.

Forest’s intensity wasn’t right as the away side were first to everything. Six minutes after the opener another left wing cross this time by former Derby County winger Mason Bennett was driven low to Jayson Molumby taking the slightest nick off Matt Smith as he deflected past a despairing and disappointing Samba. The ball creeping under the Frenchman’s body.

On 33 things got even worse for Forest when a deep corner was headed home at the back post by Smith, towering over everyone including his marker Joe Worrall.

In the second half Carvalho might of had a penalty before substitute Bostock tried his luck from range after impressing from the bench for the second time this week. Bostock forcing the otherwise quiet Bialkowski in the Millwall goal to dive to his right and tip over.

It was too little too late though as Forest were too frail, too lethargic and disjointed against a well organised tough team who played on the front foot. The Reds weren’t at the races and because of that the damage was already done.

Manager Sabri Lamouchi was unable to put a finger on what went wrong after his game suggesting fatigue might have played a part “The approach to the game was good but the beginning of the game was not so good. It was totally wrong and for me, we probably showed our limit.”

“We are now in March, after eight months the players have shown a lot of effort and are probably tired. When you are tired, you need to play more compact and more simple, that is it. We are not a different team, we are not different players. We just need to focus on our performance and to play simple.”

Next up Forest travel to Sheffield Wednesday in a weeks time allowing a good period to reflect and recoup ahead of the trip to Hillsborough.

Nottingham Forest: Samba, Cash, Figueiredo, Worrall, Ribeiro, Watson, Semedo (Bostock 46), Lolley (Diakhaby 80), Carvalho (Walker 72), Ameobi, Grabban.

Millwall: Bialkowski, Romeo, Hutchinson, Cooper, Wallace, Molumby, Woods, Wallace, Bennett (Bradshaw 61), Ferguson (Bodvarsson 86), Smith (Pearce 80).

Venue: City Ground (27,307)

*Main image @NFFC Forest disappointed against a strong Millwall side.