Forest Join The Race!!

Never mind the performance, forget the game as a spectacle. Nottingham Forest took a huge three points on Saturday that combined with results elsewhere sets up a Grandstand finish to a season that looked to be ending in misery.

With the leaders Southend the only other winners in the top ten Forest took maximum points to put the pressure right on the teams above them in the play-off race. With Swansea, Oldham and Huddersfield all losing Forest battled and scrapped away to record a vital one nil win.

In what was a nervy territorial affair both teams struggled to create many clear cut chances and the game was decided somewhat fortunately for Forest in the seventy second minute when Tyson got free down the left and squared the ball for the on rushing Grant Holt who was tackled instantly. The ball remained in the Colchester area and as Perch came rushing in to apply a finish the ball was hacked away by a prone U?s defender, much to his disbelief he succeeded only in hammering the ball against Perch and seeing it crash into the net.

In truth Colchester were value for at least a point but the majority of a larger than reported looking twenty two and a half thousand crowd would not have cared one bit. Indeed Colchester probably had the better of the chances before Forest took the lead, Danns in particular going close with a header and an overhead kick. He was however fortunate to finish the game after referee Williamson failed to show consistency with his decisions, booking a player from each side for dissent in kicking the ball away. Tyson had been booked no less than a minute before hand when Danns reacting to an offside flag booted the ball into the U?s fans. Williamson obviously aware he had booked Danns in the last ten minutes or so refused to take any actions much to the displeasure of the City Ground crowd. Danns survived but Mr Williamson who had spent his afternoon making strange decisions was not allowed to forget them and his act of cowardice as the afternoon progressed.

Forest kept the same eleven that won at Chesterfield last week despite the return to fitness of Southall who took up a place on the subs bench. Forest battled hard all afternoon without creating many chances, the best chance to extend there advantage came only minutes after Perch?s opener. Kris Commons with a corner from Forests left flank left Davison flapping and Julian Bennett all alone literally on the goal line headed over when the ball may well have gone in had he left it.

The Reds were nearly made to pay in the closing minutes as Colchester fluffed three chances to take a point. First Iwelumo Shot crazily high with the goal at his mercy following Pederson?s parry from Watsons shot, only moments later Greg Halford slammed the ball into the side netting form ten yards out down the U?s right flank. The board eventually went up to boo?s as four minutes were shown by the fourth official and Forest had seen the majority of the time pass by before Colchester were awarded a free kick right on the edge of the Forest box. The City Ground held its head in its hands as the delayed free kick eventually crashed off the wall and away to safety giving Forest all three points.

The players and fans enthusiastically applauded each other whilst virtually every result that flashed up on the scoreboard was met with a huge roar as the results elsewhere meant Forest were now officially in the race for Cardi