NOTTINGHAM FOREST 2-1 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Date 09/11/10 At The City Ground
Team
Westwood, Cranie, Wood, McPake (Cameron 63), Keogh, Gunnarsson, Clingan (Doyle 70), Carsley, McSheffrey (Baker 66), King, Jutkiewicz. SNU Clarke, Eastwood, O'Donovan, Ireland.
Forest
Camp, Gunter, Chambers, Morgan, Bertrand, Moussi, Cohen, McGugan (Anderson 82), Earnshaw (Blackstock 68), Tyson, Majewski (Adebola 86). SNU Darlow, McGoldrick, Lynch, McKenna
HT NFFC 1-1 CCFC FT NFFC 2-1 CCFC ATT 19,501
Goals Luke Chambers OG (34), Radoslaw Majewski (40), Chris Cohen (61)
Referee Andre Marriner Booked Chambers, Wood, Clingan
Man Of The Match Richard Wood took the votes in our car.
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Coventry City gave away a defeat to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
Aidy Boothroyd was forced to make two changes with Clive Platt replaced by Marlon King and Ben Turner who will be out for five to six weeks, replaced by James McPake.
It was a cold night as we arrived in Nottingham to join the Sky Blue support that was 1596 strong behind the goal.
This City support, which saw supporters from Kent, Surrey, Sheffield and Cambridgeshire and some on a coach run by Twist N Shout fanzine which was half the price of the official club coach and did something the official club coaches have made a rod for their own back by failing to do since the club moved out to the Ricoh and that is pick up in Town, along with those of us who made quick trip up the A46 or M1, watched on as the Sky Blues completely ignored the advice of their manager and failed to get into a
Forest team which had not lost at home for fourteen months.
Apart from one telling cross from Richard Keogh and the well abused King against his former club, firing well wide of the goal, it was all Forest in the opening half hour. The home side, who left former Sky Blue Dele Adebola on the bench, were quicker to the second ball and always willing to make the most when Sky Blue passes went astray.
As the stewards tried in vain to make the Sky Blue support and later sections of the home support sit down, Forest continued to threaten but and thankfully efforts by Moussi, McGugan and Majewski all missed the target, guarded by Keiren Westwood, who tonight was having problems with his kicking and was resorting to punching when normally the keeper would have caught balls coming into his six yard box.
One time Walsgrave resident and referee Andre Marriner changed and much to the delight of the City supporters, gave the Sky Blues three free kicks in quick succession.
Two were the result of Marlon King being brought down and the second had been sent not far wide of the far post by Sammy Clingan.
Then in the 34th minute, a third free kick was delivered over to the far side by Clingan. Now being at the other end, we did not have a good view of the goal at the Trent End but we could see Aron Gunnarsson get to the ball and then the ball end up in the net. We were too busy celebrating the goal that we didn't really care who scored it, but it transpires that it was LUKE CHAMBERS who headed into his own net.
"Go in at half-time leading" we thought - "job done." But no, in the 40th minute, an Aron Gunnarsson clearance did not go as far as the Icelander intended and the ball fell to RADOSLAW MAJEWSKI who curled the ball from twenty yards or so high into the top corner of the net.
Wannabee Northern Ireland keeper Lee Camp made a cracking save from Clingan just before the break and after the restart, with the rain coming down, Keogh had a header from a 48th minute corner blocked by the excellent Wes Morgan.
In the 55th minute, the City fans were howling when Aron Gunnarsson played a lovely one-two with Lukas Jutkiewicz, who struggled with his markers all night. Gunnarsson got in a great position ten yards out and with Camp badly positioned, all he had to do was hit the target and it was in. But the look on the Icelander's face said it as he blasted the ball high into the area where the City support was.
The game was following the usual script for games at the City Ground, City have chances and then Forest put theirs away and in the 62nd minute, the Sky Blues needlessly gave away a free kick. This gave CHRIS COHEN a chance and his place kick sailed straight into the net.
James McPake had done a reasonable job but he was replaced straight after the goal by Nathan Cameron and in the 66th minute, Gary McSheffrey who had a pretty quiet night by his standards made way for Carl Baker.
Baker, immediately whipped in a cross which Camp dropped but with King and Jutkiewicz not following in, Forest escaped.
The plan had been to replace Marlon King but that had to be scuppered when Sammy Clingan was injured going in for a tackle that earned him a caution.
Another cracking Baker cross from the left in the 73rd minute saw Jutkiewicz and Richard Wood go to ground, leaving the ball to fall for Aron Gunnarsson who managed to get in a shot but found it blocked.
With King playing close to the Main Stand, the home fans in the end section nearest the away fans and those in the corner to our right, stepped up their abuse of the former Wigan man.
He didn't look bothered about the taunts but in the 78th minute, he failed to properly get his head on a sublime cross from Michael Doyle and nodded out for a goal kick and put his hand up to apologise for wasting another good opportunity.
Two minutes later, King was involved again, this time on the right of the area about five yards out, his shot hit the side netting and won a corner.
City still looked capable of snatching a point and Carl Baker fired over, followed by Morgan blocking a Doyle piledriver.
Dele Adebola came on to good applause from the City fans, before Camp made the save of the evening when he one-handedly pushed away for a corner, a King left footed effort.
Six minutes of time was added on but City could do nothing more and it was Forest who took their unbeaten home run to 27 matches.