Calderwood: No Promotion Nerves

Nottingham Forest boss Colin Calderwood dismissed suggestions that promotion nerves got the better of his players following their 1-1 home draw with struggling Rotherham.

Forest narrowed the gap on second-placed Bristol City to four points with as many games remaining but wasted the opportunity to move to within two points of their rivals for automatic promotion.

Calderwood’s men produced a below-par performance in front of a crowd of 27,875 – their biggest attendance of the season so far.



Grant Holt scored from the penalty spot for his 17th goal of the season to cancel out Chris O’Grady’s early opener and earn Forest a point.

Calderwood said: ‘It’s an opportunity missed and I’m a bit frustrated because of it.

‘We had an outstanding chance to win the game and if you want to get promotion, it’s one of those that you’ve got to win by hook or by crook.

‘We were bang in the game at 1-1 but we never really crafted anything in the second half, apart from a free-kick on the edge of their area. We didn’t make their goalkeeper work enough.

‘I don’t think pressure played a part. We didn’t play well in the second half but there are reasons for that and I don’t think nerves are an issue.

‘We’re in a better situation than we were before the game because we’ve taken a point and Bristol City have lost. But if we don’t win games we won’t do it – it’s as simple as that.’

Rotherham boss Mark Robins, whose side are nine points adrift of safety, said: ‘Chris scored an outstanding goal but then we saw the other side of him where he’s got to concentrate and hit the target.

‘We needed that to go in because we are now under even more pressure with just four games remaining.

‘I was pleased with the way we played. We defended set-pieces on the whole really well and in normal circumstances we would be delighted in getting a point at a place like Forest.

‘I wanted my players to enjoy the occasion. It’s not often you get the opportunity to play at a stadium like The City Ground in front of such a big crowd and they did themselves proud.

‘We had a really good go at it. We were the better side, particularly in the first half, and I thought there was only one team going to win it.’




Nottingham Evening Post