Nottingham Forest 1-1 Middlesbrough (EFL Championship) 10.12.19

Nottingham Forest were denied at home for the fifth time this season after only managing to draw against Middlesbrough in a game they largely dominated.

Forest welcomed back midfielder Ryan Yates after suspension and it was his second half goal that looked to have won it for the reds but for a penalty by Paddy McNair in the final ten minutes ensuring Jonathan Woodgate’s men went back up the A1 with a point.

The Reds went back to the customary four at the back after trying three defenders during the first half of Friday nights draw at Millwall and in came Yates, Lolley and Grabban as Lamouchi went with an attacking lineup in attempt to take all three points.

Forest started well with Boro comfortable in defending from the off, Lolley testing Pears before Cash drived wide, Boro’s best chance came through Ashley Fletcher who headed straight at Brice Samba after good work from Coulson pushing forward from left back and crossing in.

The Reds kept possession well in the first half without really troubling Boro but a nice move on 39 minutes ended with Lolley driving into the box crossing across the face of goal with the outstretched boot of Grabban unable to reach the ball.

In the second half more of the same intent from Forest as Ameobi forced Pears to save at his near post after a long pass by Dawson before Samba saved from McNair at the other end.

A Forest corner was half cleared to the edge of the area where Ryan Yates shot into the ground before flicking up and crashing onto the bar before another slick move on 63 minutes ended with Cash crossing in from the right for Yates to head home from 7 yards out.

The young midfielder celebrating his new contract with his first goal at the City Ground might have thought it would be enough to give Forest the points but with ten minutes remaining Paddy McNair slipped a lovely defence splitting ball through to Marvin Johnson who was brought down by Jack Robinson inside the area giving the Referee no option but to award a penalty with the resulting kick by McNair smashed home high above the outstretched Samba to the goalkeepers right.

That was enough to take a share of the spoils back to Teeside and deny Forest a win something which is becoming a little too frequent at the City Ground.

Goalscoring midfielder Ryan Yates said after the game “We are all devastated as we need to be winning games at home. I thought we dominated until we scored, then we seemed to take our foot off the gas and we stopped doing the things that was getting us the chances in the first place. They got a bit more possession and ended up getting the chance.”

“It might be down to a change in mentality, when you go 1-0 up you think that you have to protect the lead. Whereas I think, especially at home, we need to put teams to the sword and make it two or three and kill the game.”

“Top teams kill games off; you see the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool go 3-0 or 4-0 and it is game over. That is what we need to add into our game.”

Manager Sabri Lamouchi equally annoyed with the outcome stated “We are frustrated and disappointed, of course, because I felt we controlled the game until the goal. We played well in the first half, we created a lot but we didn’t score.”

“We played not so good in the second half but we scored, and it was important to make the difference and to score, but after the goal we stopped playing and gave them the possibility to take the ball, play more direct and to push us back.”

“We need more character, especially at home, as the game was in our hands.”

Nottingham Forest: Samba, Cash, Dawson, Worrall, Robinson, Watson, Silva, Yates (Adomah 84), Ameobi (Carvalho 72), Grabban, Lolley.

Middlesbrough: Pears, Spence (Johnson 67), Howson, Ayala, Fry, Coulson, McNair, Clayton (Walker 74), Saville, Fletcher, Tavernier.

Venue: City Ground (24,577)

*Main image @NFFC Joe Lolley in action verses Boro.