Nottingham Forest 1-1 Birmingham: Clough put on a perch

Nottingham Forest responded to the unveiling in the city of a statue of Brian Clough with a display that would have met with the legendary manager's approval.

Rocked by an early goal from James McFadden, Colin Calderwood's struggling team battled back to extend their unbeaten run to three games.

And had it not been for some wayward finishing from Nathan Tyson and Joe Garner when Forest dominated the last quarter, they would have been victorious.

Calderwood said: "I'm feeling a mixture of pride and disappointment. It was another good home performance from which we've not got a victory, but it augurs well for the future."

Promotion-chasing Birmingham City, however, paid dearly for their safetyfirst approach at the City Ground.

Alex McLeish's men preferred to protect the early advantage rather than push on and build on it.

It proved a strategy that backfired as James Perch equalised to deny them victory for a third successive game.

That sequence has left Birmingham six points adrift of Championship pacemakers Wolves and in danger of surrendering second place to Reading.

McLeish said: "It wasn't a good performance after we scored the goal. It's almost as if we were waiting for Forest to make something happen.

"We didn't get any control of the game at all and I expect more. But we've got to be positive and we're still second, although Wolves have opened up a gap.

"But gaps have been closed before. It's going to be a battle."

McLeish gave a full debut to Nigel Quashie and the midfielder, once of Forest himself, played his part in the build-up to McFadden's goal.

Quashie crossed from the right and Marcus Bent sent the ball back across goal to McFadden.

The angle was tight and the chance looked gone, but Lee Camp, as immobile as the statue of Clough, hesitated and McFadden drilled the ball into the far corner of the net.

Forest, six regulars short because of injuries, equalised on 52 minutes when Luke Chambers scuffed Chris Cohen's freekick across goal, but Perch was alert and nodded home.

MAN OF THE MATCH
JAMES PERCH 8
All-action display in midfield crowned by smartly taken equaliser