| Pos. 5th (34pts) | TUESDAY 10 DECEMBER 2019 | Pos. 20th (21pts) | ||
| Nottm Forest | 1-1 | Boro | ||
| Yates (63) | 62% 9(3) 10 13 |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) CORNERS FOULS |
38% 9(3) 1 20 |
McNair (81 Pen) |
Paddy stumps Forest
Resurgent after their second consecutive Home victory Boro travelled down to the Trent this evening to take on a side with serious play-off ambitions. Forest have been patchy and lacking consistency at times but sitting in fifth before Kick Off their fans were all too aware that they needed a win after drawing against Millwall and losing to Cardiff in their last two outings. If not, Bristol above could stretch the gap between them and fourth place to five points plus the chasing pack below had three teams that could leapfrog them. Boro on the other hand were now four points clear of the drop zone and knew that whatever happened they would still be clear of it come ten o’clock.
There was a degree of relief amongst the Trees fans that Bitt was crocked for this one with a fear of that returning old boy syndrome causing much anxiety. With a tendency to start slowly they have struggled to create first half chances which considering Boro’s patched up defence and the prospect of two youngsters on the flanks could offer some hope to those in the away dugout. Lewis Grabban is their main threat contributing ten of their twenty-six goals this season so if Ayala could stop him then Boro just may have a chance of getting something from this evenings encounter.
Team news saw just the one change with McNair coming in for Britt which meant that as we thought on here Tav would be pushed further up to work with Fletcher. The bench looked inexperienced to say the least with only Johnson having any “experience” at this level. Lewis Wing was once again absent.
Boro adorned in their white away kit got the game underway in wet and miserable wintry conditions. Grabban took on Ayala in the opening exchange but Spence was alert to put it out for a throw in. The resultant throw ended with a deflected cross going out for a corner to the Trees which in turn went out for another throw in off Clayts as Forest started with obvious intent.
McNair put Fletcher through on five minutes but his touch deserted him in what was Boro’s first serious threat of the evening. Joe Lolley responded for Forest and in an exchange with Silva he nearly exposed our defence but for Fry reading the move and clearing the danger. An in-swinging Forest corner in the tenth minute evaded Pears towards the back post but Ayala once again was equal to it and was fouled in the eyes of the Ref to ease some pressure. Back again came Forest as they were continually pushing our full-backs deep and earning another corner. In it came but Clayts cleared it this time as Woodgate surely needed to offer his full-backs a little more support to ease the onslaught.
Approaching the quarter-hour mark and another Forest corner was delivered this time into the near post, once again we cleared but Cash and Lolley came straight back at us with Lolley getting a shot off which Pears was thankfully equal to. Ameobi played in Cash who evaded Coulson and got a shot off with flashing warning signs growing that Boro needed to pick up players quicker and at the same time ease the pressure by attacking themselves.
As our struggles continued (or resilience depending on perspective) Lolley played in Grabban only for us to hold out again but this time Saville found a way to clear as the watch approached twenty minutes. Grabban again came close but the offside flag came to the rescue of the visiting white shirts. Ref Andy Woolmer had a word with Spence after he piled into Robinson and earned a soft yellow for his troubles which seemed a bit harsh considering it was the game’s first serious challenge. After the restart Ameobi and Yates nearly broke the deadlock as Boro’s defence creaked even further but somehow the home side made hard work of things to deny themselves. Up until this point Tav was a virtual spectator and Fletcher had been very limited, struggling with a lack of support or build up from his team mates.
McNair broke only to have Silva pull him back after Fletcher set him free for the Yellow card count to equalise at one apiece. Fletcher then had a header at Samba in goal for Forest which only poked the Trees with Grabban again coming close at the opposite end. Another rare Boro break with McNair was frustratingly pulled back by the Ref for a free kick who failed to see the opportunity in letting the game carry on. A speculative left-footed Howson drive from nearer the halfway line than the Forest box was dramatic but way off target.
A flurry of Boro activity ensued after a tactical switch with McNair and Tav now providing cover for the Full Backs saw Tav supported by Coulson ending up with a back post ball to Fletcher who met it putting it in the danger zone but there were no white shirts to take advantage. Ayala again had to be alert to block Grabban as Forest broke away conceding a corner which eventually went out for a goal kick as we entered the last ten minutes of the half. Throughout the game Forest seemed to be content sitting back and looking to pick Boro off down the flanks as we ventured forward.
Mejias then started warming up as worried glances were made in the direction of Pears who presumably had a niggle of some sort as the Boro injury curse seemingly was gathering momentum. Tavernier came more into the game after the switch and now started to influence a few moves and at the same time Coulson looked a little more comfortable. A Spence through pass led to Clayton going down just outside the Forest box after Fletcher played the ball into him with less than a minute of the forty five remaining.
Tav lined up the free kick as the Forest box was packed with bodies but his fiercely hit effort came off the wall for Boro’s first corner of the match. There was the usual pushing and shoving melee in the box as McNair floated the corner in but it was cleared all to easily but to his credit Spence recovered it and immediately delivered the ball back in for Ayala to put Dawson under pressure with the ball going out for another corner but the whistle went signalling the end of the half. It wasn’t a great half for Boro with Forest by far the better side but it was still 0-0 and that late Boro period of pressure may have altered the mindsets of both Managers during their respective team talks.
Lolley, Cash and Ameobi were causing us serious problems and Grabban had been a threat all through that half. Woodgate now had to find a way to stem the flow of Forest attacks and at the same time put them under some pressure. If the game continued in the same vein as the first half it would be a miracle if Boro managed to repel the attacks for another forty-five minutes. It would be an incredible feat but it was looking very unlikely. Somehow we needed to offer more of a threat in the second half but having already changed tactics and a sparse bench it was difficult to see how change could be made to any positive effect. Perhaps the only option would be to remove either Saville or Clayton in favour of Johnson to add a more attacking element and pushing Tav further up again.
Forest kicked off and started straight away attacking Boro with no changes in personal by either manager but another switch from Woodgate now saw a back four with Howson, Ayala, Fry and Coulson with Spence pushed up on the right and Tav on the left with McNair pushed up just behind Fletcher leaving Clayton and Saville centrally. Another Forest Corner was flicked on towards the back post but fortunately nobody picked up on the move in a red shirt and we collectively exhaled again. That corner count grew again courtesy of Ameobi firing in a left footed rocket which Pears done well to put around for the corner. Clayts then was fortunate to avoid a booking which perhaps balanced up the harsh one issued in the first half to Spence.
A clever bit of play from McNair saw him win a free kick but the delivery from Howson was clearly not something that was ever rehearsed at Rockliffe. Samba then had to be alert as he palmed away an effort from McNair after a quick Boro throw in. The next Forest corner came off Clayton as the deflected ball spun up and over Pears’s net. The Lolley delivered corner found an unmarked red shirt who tee’d up Yates who smashed the ball into the turf and up it spun hitting the crossbar forcing Pears to punch clear.
Thirty minutes remained and the Boro goal had led a charmed life so far. Lolley lined up another Forest corner which was half cleared by Tav but it came straight back and a cross from the right saw Yates this time head home unopposed. Three Forest Players were left free in the build up in a repeat of the Hull game when we retreated so deep, we allowed our opponents unopposed space and freedom and paid the price. Marvin Johnson was readied in response as Boro now had to come out and try and get something from this game. Djed Spence made way with Johnson taking up the right-wing position. Marvin’s first involvement earned him a lecture from the Ref as he needlessly fouled in the opposition half and the thought was had he not learned from his Hull experience?
A Pears clearance saw Fletcher floored after being clattered into by Dawson but after a few rubs on the back of his head he staggered to his feet and was able to continue without the aid of the magic sponge. Speaking of magic, it was notably absent in the interplay between Tav, Fletcher and Johnson up till now. Carvalho was then brought on for ex Boro temp Ameobi with Walker warming up for Boro to come on for Clayton with fifteen minutes remaining. McNair dropped deeper as Walker took up the supporting role for Fletcher.
A nervy mix up between Fry and Ayala saw them both miss headers allowing Grabban to nip in but thankfully Pears was alert to the danger. Semedo then came on for Silva as Forest looked to shore things up by swapping a playmaker for a more solid and robust character. An over-hit Tav cross summed up Boro’s evening and then a minute later McNair attacked a blocked Tav shot but sliced his effort well wide.
Incredibly as Boro hopes were fading Johnson was brought down by Robinson chasing a long timed ball from Paddy McNair and a Penalty was awarded to the visitors. Red booted McNair took responsibility for the kick and slammed it Grant style into the top left corner to make it 1-1 giving Samba no chance and silencing the City Ground with just under ten minutes remaining. Forest came back at us and in doing so Semedo earned another Yellow as he took out Fletcher. Albert Adomah then came on for Yates in a late bid to get their noses in front again. Fletcher then increased the yellow card count as he apparently caught Dawson with a raised arm.
Tav came close to undoing Samba as Forest now started to throw everything forward. A minute later and Worrall took Tavernier out to prevent a Boro breakout and earning yet another yellow with just under five minutes remaining. A bit of late pressure involving Saville, Johnson and McNair saw Fletcher send an effort wide as Boro very nearly nicked all three points.
Dawson won another free kick against Fletcher but the Ref insisted it be taken exactly where the “offence” was committed allowing vital seconds to seep away. Four minutes came up on the board as Johnson took a knock and slowly dragged himself back to his feet. Saville cut out a late attempt for a throw in and the resulting long throw saw a nervy few moments in the Boro box but Pears was equal to it all and caught the ball confidentially. Ayala then handled to give away a free kick in the last minute of stoppage time on the edge of the box. Carvalho sent the ball into Pears’ near post but the young Keeper stood strong and unflappable catching it cleanly.
The final whistle went to a background of boos but certainly not from the travelling army. This was a game of many phases, Woodgate changed tactics several times and after a first half of desperately holding on then going behind Johnson made a marked difference when he arrived. A draw away from home especially at the City Ground has to be recorded as a good result for any Boro side. My MOM was Ayala for his first half defensive performance but Pears was also solid when called upon. Marvin Johnson made a big difference and Paddy took his penalty with aplomb and had also set Johnson free for the penalty so there were a few contenders. Four points from the last two games was as good as anyone could have hoped for especially after the Leeds drubbing made all the more remarkable by the limitations imposed by the squad. By no means a great game or performance from Boro but a great point and a very unexpected one from a scrappy but dogged display which hopefully will be carried onto Swansea.