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The battling Terriers were denied at the death as Forest?s late, late show denied Town at the City Ground on Saturday.
The League One title favourites snatched the lead right on half time the last kick of the half and then following Pawel Abbott?s penalty, Gary Megson?s men grabbed a 87th minute winner through substitute and transfer-listed David Johnson, who is now reportedly wanting to stay at Forest.

Arriving on the coach towards Nottingham we got delayed in the traffic and missed the team sheet being read out by from what I could make out as a sat down in my seat to see Town kick off was that Peter Jackson had gone with the 5-3-2 system. Rabs in goal with Nathan Clarke, Dave Mirfin and Martin McIntosh was given his debut. Holdsworth and Adams were playing in the wing back roles, Worthington, Brandon and new boy Mark Hudson in the centre with Abbott and Booth up front. On the bench for Town was Senior, Tom Clarke, Collins, Schofield and new recruit Gary Taylor-Fletcher.
Forest were giving debuts to keeper Pedersen, Nicky Eaden, Ian Breckin, Danny Cullip who signed the day before from Sheffield United, Nicky Southall, Gary Holt. With Forest playing 3-5-2 formation with the experienced Gareth Taylor and Scott Dobie up front.

In the early minutes Town started off brightly surging forward, a first minute shot that Forest keeper Pedersen clung to, Abbott had pretty much a quiet game, failing to benefit from some typical headed service from Booth, while skipper Jon Worthington might have done better with a volley during a moment of panic in the Forest defence.

Town caught Forest out, and Abbott managed to bobble the ball past the defender and raced into the area, Pedersen came running out from his goal and clattered into Abbott, which from were I was sat was a cast iron penalty, but the referee rejected the penalty claim.
Town seemed then to take the foot of the gas a little and Forest were creating chance by just clearly wasting them. Time after time the ball would be pumped into the Town area from both flanks but the Forest players? heading was absolute shocking and Town could have been 2 down. Kris Commons raced down the left and got lucky as McIntosh slipped over and delivered a cross into the area that Garner headed terribly wide. Then Commons himself wasted a header which the Town fans cheered to as Forest wasted chance after chance and the ?easy, easy? chants were going round the away section of the City Ground.

Town fans soon began chanting ?your not famous anymore? to the Forest fans sitting above, which I thought was quite strange that the home supports were sat above you, in the upper tier, which in a way could seem intimidating.
Andy Booth was causing the Forest defence problems, But Booth was winning the headers but there was no one there to feed off it. Every time Abbott had the ball he?d have two Forest players round him and the midfield lacked that killer ball.

The half was drawing to a close and We were happy going in at half time still goalless. But Town?s ball-watching syndrome of last season happened again, Town were caught on the break and Commons launched a great ball into the Town area where Dobie had lost covering defender Holdsworth who was ball watching, Dobie had got that half a yard on Holdsworth to chest the ball down and flick a close-in shot that Rachubka managed to tip onto the ball but the ball feel kindly back to Dobie leaving him with a soft tapping. Forest were lucky, Town were unlucky.


In the second half the scenario changed totally as Jackson must have taken the paint off the walls at half time, Jackson had been saying in the paper that these silly goals cost us last season and that in pre-season it hadn?t changed. These silly goals need to stop now if we want a crack at promotion this season.

Jackson sent on Danny Schofield was Holdsworth on the hour mark, With Danny making an immediate impact.
Jackson?s master stroke proved itself within four minutes of Schofield coming on, Receiving the ball on the left hand side, just outside the penalty area, Schofield tricked it past two men in the Forest penalty area and was tripped by the third defender with the referee having no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Pawel Abbott stepped up and coolly slotted the ball home to make it all square.

Gary Megson then sent on two strikers in David Johnson and Wes Morgan to see to snatch all three points.
But they had keeper Pedersen to thank as on 71 minutes, Mirfin was playing at right back in a rejigged 4-4-2 formation, raced to the byline like a winger beating two Forest players and delivered a fantastic cross which the flying Booth?s brilliant header which was heading for the top corner was somehow knocked away to safety by keeper Pedersen.

But it was the substitute David Johnson who denied the 3,542 travelling fans of coming away from the game which something after been sent through by Commons, who was a thorn in Town?s side all afternoon.

Commons sent Johnson through, Johnson shrugging off Nathan Clarke and with Rachubka initially saved the first shot going down at his feet but once again the ball broke kindly back to Johnson who was left with just a simple tap in. Once again Forest got lucky on that one.

Taylor-Fletcher, who had come on as a sub for Abbott could have grabbed Town a point. Town won a free-kick down the right, Hudson took the free-kick which curled to the back post which McIntosh headed back across goal, But Taylor-Fletcher looped the header onto the top of the goal net.

I was disappointed that Town didn?t come away with at least a point on Saturday, both side really looked impressive but its early days yet. We have to looked forward to Tuesday?s night clash with Marcus Stewart?s Bristol City and start off with a win in front of the home fans.

Teams:

Forest: Pedersen, Eaden, Breckin, Cullip, Southall (Johnson 74), Holt, Gardner (Friio 67(, Commons, Taylor (Morgan 86), Dobie
Subs not used: Gerrard, Perch

Town: Rachubka, Holdsoworth (Schofield 59), Mirfin, N Clarke, McIntosh, Adams, Brandon, Hudson, Worthington, Abbott (Taylor-Fletcher 75), Booth.
Subs not used: Senior, T Clarke, Collins

If you would to make a comment about this report or anything written by me feel free to e-mail me at sean.makin@terrier-bytes.com