Camp To The Rescue Again

Nottingham Forest keeper Lee Camp pulled off another great injury time penalty save, to give the Reds’ a share of the points at Ashton Gate today.

The 2-2 draw with Bristol City will once again give the fans and players alike plenty to be optimistic about, but despite another credible performance we still sit amongst the Champioship basement boys. Forest twice took the lead in this game and twice threw it away. That may sound a little simplistic and harsh, but it’s true.

Any criticism levelled at the team though on todays’ showing, will probably be in the form of our naivity and inexperience. There’s no doubting that Calderwood has us playing in a cavalier and at times entertaining style and for that he has to be applauded. We’re alot easier on the eye than Forest sides of late and we are getting to see the tippy tappy football we demand at the City Ground. Other managers love us and constantly tell us how good we are when they slope off with the points, but those compliments, won’t keep us in this division. The good news for us all though, is that we do have genuine reasons for optimism. When Calderwood finally gets the lads to retain the ball and not give it away so cheaply, we can look forward to climbing the table and winning some games.

It was a good start from the lads today and good to see Joe Garner get his first goal for the club. He put us in front on 11 mins, after a great piece of play. Cohen won the ball in his own half and sprayed a great ball out to Tyson on the wing. Tyson beat his man and put a delightful ball into the box, to the awaiting Garner. He in turn showed some neat control and slotted the ball passed keeper Basso and into the net.

City tried to hit straight back and should have levelled through Adebola, but he skied his shot over the bar. Forest were playing well enough, but were getting muscled out of the game in midfield. The City equaliser, which had been on the cards since we went infront came on 38 mins. It was a goal from distance, that once again cost us and what a goal it was. Adebola hit a cross ball to Marvin Elliot, who was left to strike a thunderbolt from 30 yards out and into the top corner of the net, without a single Red shirt to challenge him.

Forest came out after the break and went in front almost straight away. Tyson did what Tyson does best and beat his markers for pace. Hopefully his strike, will give him the confidence to go on a goalscoring run and fire us up the table. He took his goal well, getting passed Skuse with ease. He shot at an angle, with his left peg and passed the impressive Basso in goal. City once again went in search of an equaliser and almost got it immediately through gaffers Son, Johnson. For once the home side was thwarted by some last ditch defending from the Reds’.

Forest lost the lead from a corner, when Fontaine shot through a crowded penalty area to give the home side parity. Anderson and Chambers had chances to take the lead once again, but lady luck wasn’t smiling, at least not just yet.

As the game went into it’s final throws, you knew the home side would attempt to lay siege on the Forest goal and they didn’t disappoint. In the last seconds of four mins injury time, Chambers upended former Red, Stern John in the area. McIndoe stepped up to give the homeside the points, until lady luck did indeed shine on us. The on loan and fast becoming terrace favourite Lee Camp, made himself the hero once again with another great penalty save, just as he did against the Rams a few weeks ago.

This was two points lost, or a point won, depending on your view point. Sounds to me like a point won. City are a decent side and performing well at home. Having had good results in the past few weeks against some of the divisions better teams, we do have genuine reason for hope. That`s in sharp contrast to how things were looking, earlier on in the campaign. The strikers now look like they do actually know where the net is and we can at long last find it. Onwards and upwards, as they say. Next up, its Norwich at home and this one really is a must win game.