Nottingham Forest 0-1 Crystal Palace: Sunday Mirror match report
Published 20:00 10/12/11 By MirrorFootball
Forest are going to remain in serious trouble unless they can end a goal drought which is wrecking their season.
Four defeats on the trot, and four games without a goal, means the pressure is mounting on manager Steve Cotterill, who insisted: “We could have been 4-0 up at half-time and ended up winning by six.”
Palace boss Dougie Freedman seemed to agree saying: “Forest are a good team with good attacking players but we stood up to them and got our rewards.”
Palace ended a worrying seven-match run without a win thanks to Glenn Murray’s clinical strike.
Despite their lowly league position, Forest actually began the game with the confidence and vigour of a team chasing promotion.
Marcus Tudgay took advantage of some sloppy Palace defending and broke free but his pull-back was intercepted and cleared by David Wright.
It was all Forest and Luke Chambers and Garath McCleary were both denied by Julian Speroni in the Palace goal.
Andy Reid slotted into his normal midfield position with Guy Moussi filling in at the back as Forest regrouped and Palace sensed an opening.
Lee Camp saved from Anthony Gardner just before the break, immediately after which Cotterill went to some lengths to rally a somewhat subdued home crowd.
The Forest players responded and Radoslaw Majewski went close within minutes of the restart.
But, after a pointless fracas involving a handful of players, it was Palace who took the lead through the energetic Murray after 56 minutes.
Cotterill went for broke with just under 20 minutes remaining by bringing on both Lewis McGugan and the fit-again Dexter Blackstock.
Forest huffed and puffed but couldn’t find a way past Speroni, although they did pile on the pressure in the five minutes of overtime which tested Palace’s resolve.
