Forest hit back to deny Birmingham at the City Ground - 7M sport

Forest hit back to deny Birmingham at the City Ground



Posted Sunday, August 26, 2018 by PA

Forest hit back to deny Birmingham at the City Ground

Nottingham Forest staged a late fightback to deny Birmingham their first Championship win of the season – and maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign – with a 2-2 draw at the City Ground.

Aitor Karanka’s side looked dead and buried after goals from Lukas Jutkiewicz and substitute Che Adams had powered the Blues into a 2-0 lead with 18 minutes left to play.

But Garry Monk’s wait for a win will drag on, as draw specialists Forest secured a point thanks to a 75th-minute strike from sub Joe Lolley and a poacher’s finish from Daryl Murphy, three minutes from the end.

Hillal Soudani was the first to have a strike at goal, but his effort was a wayward one for Forest and it was instead Birmingham who twice came close to breaking the deadlock in the early stages.

When Omar Bogle was given too much time and space in the box, he took full advantage to let fly with a driven, low shot that arrowed just the wrong side of the post.

A foul by Matty Cash on Jacques Maghoma then gave the Blues a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the box and Gary Gardner almost returned to haunt his former club with a curling effort that bent around the defensive wall and only just wide of the opposite upright.

Forest did not heed either warning and, in the 21st minute, Birmingham took the lead as Maghoma glided into space down the left, before delivering a cross to the far post, where Jutkiewicz was arriving to plant a towering header back across goal and inside the post.

The half-time lead was no more than the visitors deserved, following a flat, uninspired 45 minutes from Forest, who looked devoid of both ideas and threat.

Jack Robinson lashed a shot wide as Forest looked to up the tempo after the break. Sub Joao Carvalho sparked a little life into the Reds and set up a shooting chance for Cash, but his effort was well blocked.

It was Cash who threatened again, seeing a powerful strike charged down in the goalmouth, following good work down the left from Gil Dias.

But Costel Pantilimon also had to make a smart save to deny Maghoma, as he swept a shot towards goal from 12 yards.

And it was Birmingham who were to strike again, as Maikel Kieftenbeld fed sub Adams, who sent a low shot fizzing into the bottom corner of the net from 12 yards to make it 2-0 in the 72nd minute.

But seconds after coming on in the 75th minute, when Birmingham failed to properly clear a Forest free-kick, the ball broke to Lolley who drove his own shot into the bottom corner of the net, from just inside the area, with his first touch of the ball.

It gave Forest a lifeline and lifted the atmosphere in the City Ground and, with three minutes of normal time left, the home side were to level.

Lolley was the inspiration again as he cracked a shot that Lee Camp could only parry, with Murphy reacting quickest to drive home the loose ball from a few yards out.

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