Championship game 8

Town 0-2 Forest

Struggling Forest came and deservedly took all three points. The sacking of Hughton during the week meant that the players had something to prove and right from the off they were on the front foot. Town struggled to get hold of the ball for the first 10 minutes then as we were coming back into the game the impressive Brennan Johnson raced down the Forest right and crossed on the run for Grabban to head home whilst on the move. Town picked up again and looked for openings, Toffolo racing through for a one on one which Samba dealt with well.

For the second half Pearson made way for Turton as we looked to change formation and be competitive in the middle. It didn’t have time to work as we lost the ball for Forest to get away a decent strike just after the restart. Nicholls parried it into the path of Lolly who’s shot bounced around Town players before nestling in the back of the net. Forest then dropped deep and allowed Town possession. With no space behind the back line and a real lack of invention we offered very little to get back into the game. Holmes had a long distance strike which went wide and Lees headed just wide form a corner but we never looked likely to get back into the game.

We have performed much worse over the last few seasons but thsi was a huge disappointment after recent form for both sides. Forest were up for the game and played on the front foot. They were the first into any 50/50s and wanted it so much more than us. We had an air about us such as we would win easily and were made to pay. Closing down was poor, as was the passing and once going behind we lacked and belief or invention. We got what we deserved from a game which got away from us before we really got going today.

Ratings

Nicholls

Handling and positioning was again good. Can’t be faulted for the first goal but I do feel that he could have done better with the second. Goal kicks in the first half were wasted and he could have taken more ownership of these to vary the distribution.

Rating 6

Lees

Good in the air but passing out of the back was slow and predictable. He’s a good consistant performer but needs to be given more options when he is on the ball.

Rating 5

Pearson

Was slow and predictable on the ball and did nit have the drive and control that we have seen in some matches.

Rating 5

Colwill

Looked nervy at times when closed down and his delivery from the back was not as good as we have seen in previous games.

Rating 5

Hogg

Looked a little slow at times. Was second to too many challanges and his passing was not of the standard you would expect. He lost posession for us too often.

Rating 5

O’Brien

Was the better of the Town players. He was very busy trying to retain possession but there were too few options for him when on the ball. Showed drive and enthusiasm but thsi was nit mirrored by the others.

Rating 6

Sinani

Passing was poor today and he failed to find space or spot the man who was in space. Too much head down. Needed to close down teh opposition more as well and the game really got away from him.

Rating 4

Toffolo

Struggled a little today. Spence and Johnson were too much for him to handle and he had little support. Going forward he failed to brake the lines of the Forest defence.

Rating 5

Thomas

Found a lot of space in the first half in good positions but his teamates either failed to deliver well or overlooked him. His head didn’t go and in teh second half he delivered plenty of crosses into the box but we did not have anyone up top to win the ball in the air.

Rating 5

Koroma

Operating out on the left hand side he was well shackled by Forest and rarely threatened. At times guilty of taking too many touches when there were better options around.

Rating 5

Ward

Put himself about dropping deep to link up play in the first half but this meant that he was not up top to spearhead the attack. He miss-controlled a ball early on and dived into the tackle which rightly earned him a yellow card.

Rating 5

Turton came on at half time for Pearson but failed to get into the game struggling to find any space and link up the play.

Rating 5

Carlos

Looking back on the game, starting with Ward and bringing on Mipo, it did nothing. Mipo is quick and needs the ball in behind. After going behind there was no space behind their defence as they defended deep. Ward has been struggling for some time to impose himself and therefore we should have started with Mipo. Passing was poor and predictable, at no time did we deliver long balls or play it through the lines all the play was infront of the opposition and therefore easy to defend against. As the second half progressed play was either sideways in midfield or the ball launched into the box where we had little height. We lacked any inventiveness to brake Forest down and were reluctant to take shots from distance that may have created something.

Rating 5