There was something special about today. An old foe, a big crowd, glorious sunshine – and an air of determined spirit bubbling beneath the entire afternoon.
It felt a bit like the good old days. Or at least the average old days that look so appealing when set against our current plight.
The players felt it, the supporters felt, and for long periods the game went as well as we could have hoped. And yet it all came to nothing – again.
It was a scrappy game with very few chances. Wolves played a surprisingly basic long ball game, hoping to cash in on the physical presence of Iwelumo and Ebanks-Blake.
Forest held firm, feeding occasionally on scraps, and Wolves were restricted to no more than two efforts on goal.
But just as Tyson and McCleary gave Forest fans license to dream of a cheeky winner, Wolves mustered a goal from nothing.
Their 5,000-strong support were in party mood for the final minutes as their team marches unhindered to the Premiership. Forest face an uncertain future.
At least half of our remaining games have to be wins, maybe even more. It is a lot to ask of any side.
Like most, I have spent the season waiting patiently for the predestined turnaround and peaceful mid-table run-in. But after several false starts, the run-in has arrived long before we are ready for it. Only now is the reality of our peril starting to become clear.
Star exits at basement prices, shrinking attendances, the return of the tedium, the terraces and the “you’re not famous anymore”. It could be just around the corner.
Turner – 7 – a steady performance from a goalkeeper keen to impress. His distribution was fairly average, but he immediately demonstrated that crosses and communication are no problem. This will appease the Smith critics.
Gunter -7 – a steady performance as part of a back four that looked worlds better than it did at Burnley last weekend.
Morgan – 9 – perhaps guilty of losing his man for the goal, but this was a titanic display from Forest’s outstanding player of the second half of the season.
Wilson – 8 – an efficient and industrious performance to keep a tough Wolves strikeforce quiet.
Lynch – 7 – continues to look a lot more settled in his role under Davies.
McGugan – 6 – not the battling performance that Davies’ rant might have inspired.
Cohen – 7 – played out of his skin and never shirked a challenge. This kind of metal was essential if Forest were to get a result today, and Cohen will be as disappointed as anybody that his efforts were not rewarded.
Perch – 6.5 – stood tall and threw himself into some vital challenges. We missed Osbourne or Moussi’s creative input in this role.
Earnshaw – 7 – worked extremely hard but had very little to work with. Earnshaw is desperate to avoid the drop.
McSheffrey – 6.5 – flashes of excellence, again, but struggled to sustain the quality against a strong Wolves side.
Anderson – 6.5 – looked a little bit lightweight at times, but his poise on the break continues to be a major asset.
Subs:
McCleary -6
Tyson -6
Garner-6
