Sarfend 1-1 Forest. Playoffs It Is

Whatever way Colin Calderwood views the result of this game, it was two points dropped in the race for promotion. The 1-1 draw at Southend, now sees them 10 points behind the second automatic promotion place.

Forest made one change for the game against Southend at Roots Hall tonight, with Grant Holt replacing the injured Arron Davies. Calderwood sent out his troops in a 4-3-3 formation.

The match was played in blustery conditions that made football pretty difficult, but it was the home side who weathered them better. For almost the entire first 45 mins the Shrimpers dominated and had Forest pegged back.

With 3 attackers on the pitch for us, you would have imagined something of an onslaught on the Southend goal, but the frontmen hardly got a look in. Smith was the first of the keepers to be called into action when he was forced to save from a shot from outside the box.

Southend took a deserved lead from a corner. The ball came out to Hal Robson-Kanu and he beat the Reds defence when he ran into the box and slotted the ball past Smith. They nearly did the same again when Holt headed on from a corner, but the resulting effort went wide.

The travelling fans were incensed and chanted ‘Are you Megson in disguise,’ in disgust at what was being served up by Calderwood. The players were doing little to help his job prospects by again giving the ball away too cheaply and once again being guilty of performing below the required levels.

For the second half Calderwood rang the changes. Off came Agogo and Holt and on came Tyson and Thornhill. Things seemed to change immediately and Forest were now in the game. Southend were to rue not making the most of their first half domination.

But it was the Shrimpers who had the first chance after the break. Paul Smith saved well from a shot that he tipped round the post. Twenty mins in though, Forest got the break. Thornhill and Tyson combined well. Bennett initially put a threw ball in for Thornhil, who in turn sent it out wide to Tyson. He sent a ball into the box, that was met by Thornhill and he slid it passed Flahaven to draw level.

Make no mistake this was a poor performance by the Reds, only saved by a battling second half display. It looks as though it’s the playoffs again, as a 10 point deficit is too much to claw back. It’s still mathematically possible, but at the end of the day, do we actually deserve it?