Rovers extended their unbeaten home run to 25 league games after a mixed performance by Tony Mowbray’s side saw the Blues stumble to a 2-2 draw, after a debatable penalty call poured water over their hard-work.
During the build-up to the game, Tony Mowbray praised his side following their tough run of fixtures, which saw them come away with 5 points from a possible 9 against Aston Villa, Derby County and Stoke City, respectively. The boss also praised his team’s effort, work-rate and their ability to step up their performances when needed, against higher quality opposition.
The side given the opportunity to continue Rovers’ unbeaten home run saw 1 change to the side that beat Stoke City at the Bet365 Stadium, 7 days ago. Paul Downing was drafted into the side for his first league game of the season, as he replaced Derrick Williams who was serving a 1-match ban, following his red card at Bournemouth in midweek.
With the pre-match formalities complete, Rovers got the game underway as they looked to make it back-to-back league wins.
As both sides tried to settle into the game following periods of loose possession which saw both sides flying into early tackles, as each set of players tried to make their mark on the game.
Although the first 7 minutes of the game saw both sides try to unlock their opposition, it wasn’t until the 8th minute where the game burst into life, thanks to referee Andrew Madley. The referee, following a Forest corner, judged that Darragh Lenihan had pulled back Forest centre-half Michael Hefele in the penalty area. With the home crowd booing, Lewis Grabban shouldered the responsibility of the spot-kick as the box was cleared. The former Aston Villa loanee stuttered towards the goal, before powering his shot which cannoned off the crossbar and went behind for a goal-kick, as Rovers and Lenihan’s blushes were spared.
With Forest in the ascendency since their missed penalty, Rovers crafted their first chance of the half, 26 minutes in, courtesy of Bradley Dack’s vision and Danny Graham’s attacking instinct. Dack’s lofted diagonal ball dropped to Graham who hit the ball first-time on the volley, but was well denied by Costel Pantilimon, who filled up the Forest goal.
2 minutes after his save, Pantilimon was called upon again in order to deny Dack’s header from close-range. Elliott Bennett’s dink into the area was met by Rovers’ number 23, who broke free of his marker and connected with the ball. Although the movement was good, Dack’s header was straight at the Romanian goalkeeper.
On the 34th minute, Rovers were a goal-line clearance away from taking the lead, as Graham was denied by the head of Jack Colback. Some good closing down by Harrison Reed allowed the on-loan midfielder to dispossess Danny Fox before passing to Richie Smallwood, who drove towards goal. The midfielder had Dack and Graham available in space, but opted for the latter, who opened his body and released a shot that looked destined to nestle into the top corner, but for the head of Jack Colback, who did well to recover and redirect the ball over his crossbar.
6 minutes after Colback’s clearance, Dack shook Pantilimon’s woodwork after his strike crashed back into play, off the crossbar.
With half-time looming, Colback picked up a yellow card after the former Newcastle midfielder pulled Dack back.
As the game entered the second of the 3 added minutes, Lewis Grabban thought he had put his side ahead, but was denied by the linesman. After some good target man play, Grabban made a run in-behind Paul Downing, before receiving a flicked header from Matty Cash. The forward, who didn’t know he was offside, then proceeded to comfortably slot the ball past David Raya, before turning around and seeing the linesman.
Half-time arrived with both sides having good enough chances to break the deadlock, but with neither side managing to find that little bit extra, referee Andrew Madley called an end to a half that should have seen some goal action.
With both sides in their respective dressing room listening to their managers, there’s no doubt that both managers would have had mixed emotions during their speeches. Both Mowbray and Aitor Karanka would have been wondering how the game was still goalless, especially following the early penalty decision that went the way of the visitors.
The second-half was kicked-off by Forest, who were looking to make it 3 league wins on the bounce, following victories over Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United in their previous league outings.
That aim soon became a lot more realistic, on the 52nd minute, when Lewis Grabban redeemed himself, following his penalty miss, to put Forest ahead. Some lovely counter-attacking play by the Reds, following Rovers’ free-kick saw Lolley cross the ball into João Carvalho, who cushioned a lovely header into Grabban’s path, who finished off the counter with a header of his own, past David Raya, to put Forest 1-0 to the good.
With Rovers behind, Mowbray, on the hour mark, opted for some changes in personnel. Paul Downing was replaced by Adam Armstrong, as the manager tried to switch to a 5 at the back, however due to an injury to Ryan Nyambe, which forced the full-back off, Jack Rodwell came on for his league debut at centre-back, with Elliott Bennett becoming Rovers’ right-back, as the standard 4-2-3-1 remained.
Not long after his introduction, Adam Armstrong managed to find the back of the net with a superb goal that took an incredible slice of luck. Armstrong’s cross from just inside the penalty area wickedly curled over all 6’8” of Costel Pantilimon, bouncing off both the crossbar and the post, before hitting the net to level the scoring, whilst also sending Ewood Park into ecstasy.
Minutes after the leveller, everyone associated with Rovers were fuming, after the referee had denied, what looked to be a stonewall penalty for the Blues, after Dack was hauled down in the area.
On the 69th minute, Bradley Dack nearly completed the turnaround as he saw a free-kick from around 20-yards out, palmed wide by Pantilimon.
71 minutes into the game signalled Forest’s first change. Matty Cash was withdrawn and replaced by Gil Dias.
Not long after his free-kick was saved by Pantilimon, Dack finally got the better of the Romanian, as on the 74th minute, he tapped Rovers ahead from yards out, following some good play by Danny Graham, who set the midfielder up for his 5th league goal of the season. A through ball by Armstrong into Graham, saw the forward’s deft shot cleared off the line, before being recycled back to the striker, who had made himself available on the wide edge of the box. The forward did well to wrongfoot Hefele, before laying off a pacey cutback across goal, that Dack only had to stab home, as the Blues went 2-1 ahead.
After the goal, Corry Evans was removed and replaced by Joe Rothwell, as Rovers looked to add fresh legs in the middle of the field.
Rovers’ lead, however, only lasted 5 minutes, as Lewis Grabban converted another penalty, following what looked like a dive, by Joe Lolley. After some good wing-play by Forest, Lolley drove inside and appeared to fall over when trying to get past Jack Rodwell, despite television replays suggesting that Rodwell didn’t touch the former Huddersfield Town man. Andrew Madley, the referee, however was fooled, as he gave Grabban another opportunity to score and level the scoring at 2-2, which he duly did.
Immediately after the goal, Forest withdrew Carvalho and replaced him with Ben Osborn.
On the 84th minute, Lolley found himself in the area once again, but this time, opted to shoot. His strong effort was well saved by David Raya, as the Spaniard kept the scores level with a strong hand.
After Raya’s save, Forest made their final change of the afternoon, which saw goalscorer Grabban replaced by Daryl Murphy.
The final opportunity of the game, came on the 89th minute, as Michael Hefele’s header from Lolley’s corner, flew over Raya’s crossbar.
After 4 added minutes of tension, the referee called time on a game that Rovers should have ultimately seen out, despite the questionable refereeing decisions.
As we’re able to talk and question the debatable refereeing decisions until the cows come home, there’s more important things to be discussing about this draw. The main positive – despite the overall disappointment – is that the lads fed off the energy from the stands, after going behind and managed to turn the game on its head and end up in-front – albeit following a slice of luck. Danny Graham and Bradley Dack in particular, impressed with their energy and work-rate at the top end of the field as their constant pressure on the Forest defence, up until the 90th minute, kept giving Karanka’s backline issues and problems to deal with. All in all, however, the draws, late goals and penalties need to be ironed out by Mowbray, if he envisions Rovers to be fighting amongst the division’s elite come May, a target, which many in the stands may now be thinking is a reality, after the positive start to the campaign.
Following this disappointing draw, Rovers find themselves in 13th, with 15 points from 10 games played. Had the Blues seen out the game and earnt all 3 points, they would have ended the weekend in 5th.
Next on the calendar are Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United on Wednesday 3rd October, with kick-off scheduled for 7:45pm. Following that clash, Mowbray and his men make the short trip to the University of Bolton Stadium, where they face Bolton Wanderers on Saturday 6th October at 5:30pm, due to the game being on Sky Sports. Once the local derby is done, the Blues host high flying Leeds United, after the international break, on Saturday 20th October, with the game scheduled to begin at midday.
