The scoreline implies that we took a battering but there were never three goals between the sides. We looked comfortable until the first goal but a crazy 15 minutes later the game was well and truly lost. By the end we looked ragged and we had to be grateful that our indiscipline didn’t result in us losing any players to suspension.

For the fifth successive away game, we left without scoring. We haven’t beaten an opposition keeper on our travels since Cohen beat Carson at West Brom. On that occasion we stifled and outnumbered their midfield with Moussi, allowing us to hit them on the break. It’s quite surprising that we’ve changed formations and players since without reverting back to this approach.

After destroy them in the corresponding home game, you can see the logic in starting Earnshaw but too often he was a passenger in the side when we were desperate for someone like Moussi adding fight into the midfield. In the closing stages, we should be able to introduce him against tiring defences.

After a scrappy opening to the game, it was Forest who started to look like a footballing team and exert some pressure on the home side. A series of long range efforts were blocked by their defence and the closest we came was Earnshaw’s flicked header off the bar. Half time arrived at just the wrong time for us.

At the other end, there was nothing to fear from a team built around endless long balls from back to front. They had a few set pieces but Wilson and MOTM Morgan looked in commanding form.

It was a similar story at the start of the second until poor defending from a set piece cost us badly. We had chances to clear the ball from our area but they kept the ball alive and found themselves with an easy chance. Even if they hadn’t scored there was plenty of dubious shirt pulling that may have resulted in us conceding a penalty.

The turning point of the afternoon started with our own attack. Earnshaw crossed from the right for McGoldrick to square for Perch, his goal-bound shot hit a defender on the line and was cleared. With their next attack, they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the area. The finish was unstoppable into the top corner and left Camp with no chance.

We looked a mess at this point and it was no surprise when they added another. A low cross shot from the left, with Wilson playing them onside to score from close range with a neat finish. One of those afternoons were everything went right for them in front of goal and Perch’s miss costs us badly.

This looked like a game too far for some of the squad with the midfield in particular struggling to impose themselves on the game. Blackstock did everything you could expect but lacked support around him as Earnshaw never really stayed close to him. Tyson and McGoldrick joined the game in the second half but neither did anything to suggest that they were going to turn the game in our favour.

---

Don’t forget to place your Forest bets with our sponsor Victor Chandler... [ Click Here]

Tags: Games Lost, MOTM Wes Morgan