Nottingham Forest 2-2 Blackpool (FA Cup Round Three) 07.01.24
The score line perfectly represented the game that ensued at 2pm on Trentside in the FA Cup; a poor game from a Reds perspective, which started to look like another Forest upset on the one-year anniversary of the sides 4-1 drubbing at Bloomfield Road, but this time, Blackpool forced a replay. A mid-week fixture in the North West awaits, but Forest fans have nothing really to cheer about other than another splendid Morgan Gibbs-White goal.
A first half that, given Forest’s strong line-up, was predicted to be one that the home team would dominate, and while that can definitely be said about possession stats – of which Forest had around 70% of – Blackpool dominated the scoreline by getting their noses ahead, early on.
The first came from former-Red, Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel, who finds a well-placed cross and fires it past Oddyseas Vlachodimos with a super header from the penalty spot. Excellent work by the Tangerines who deservedly go ahead, despite Forest having two close chances just moments before further afield.
Floodgates would open for the Reds, or so most thought, as just two minutes later, Albie Morgan would find an on-the-floor cross pass from the left hand side, firing it at the near post before hitting the back of the net. A great run from Morgan who was ignored by Montiel – stupendous errors to have allowed the cross to be made, no commitment by the keeper to stop it across his penalty area, and no tracking of the runner, and eventual goal scorer. School boy errors from, what seemed to be, Nuno’s ‘on the up’ Reds.
Thankfully, the nightmare wouldn’t lead to more goals, as Nicolas Dominguez attempts to set the record straight. Montiel, who was in poor form, made a fantastic run down the right wing, before putting in a superb ball which Dominguez heads home – Forest started to wake up, Dominguez found some form, a goal was seemingly all it took. Forest left the half just a goal behind now, the marathon soon turned to an uphill sprint.
Forest’s second half seemed to be one in which the Reds upped the gear; early runs down either wing showed promise, but chances while not sparse weren’t taken well enough, wasted opportunities.
Gibbs-White wouldn’t waste his chance to shine though, as from almost the same spot as his goal against Manchester United, he scores again. Hudson-Odoi’s inverted run leads to a pass, finding Gibbs-White on the edge of the ‘D’, with the Forest star with no choice but to shoot; another match, another rocket. Despite being closed down, Gibbs-White the hero once again – by no means an outstanding performance, but the goal certainly was outstanding.
Forest would eventually rue missed chances, perhaps the best being from Chris Wood. Hudson-Odoi’s chip into an on-running Tavares in the Tangerines box is squared across the penalty area, Wood slides in, misses it by centimetres. A gutting end to a very, very poor performance; back to the drawing board for Nuno’s Forest.
*Article provided by Jamie Martin (Head Nottingham Forest Correspondent).
*Main image @NFFC Nico Dominguez was on target for Forest.
