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Nottm Forest 1, Posh 0 - Posh give Forest a fright
SPORT: Football action from Nottingham Forest v Posh Sergio Torres
Championship match report: IF ever there was a match to ram home what a wasted season this has been for Peterborough United, this was it.
Despite fielding a side which included a right-back at centre-back, a centre-back in midfield and players who were more likely to line up in a dole queue than a football pitch a couple of months ago, Posh gave as good as they got against the team sitting third in The Championship.
Intelligent management and relevant coaching is the simple explanation for an improvement in attitude and performance.
If Jim Gannon had been available to replace Darren Ferguson in November it might not have led to survival, but it would certainly have led to considerably more points.
It’s encouraging that Posh can play well enough to help Forest keeper Lee Camp to a man-of-the-match award, but it’s also frustrating that these performances are coming too late to matter in real terms.
The pre-season planning for a division that demands pace and power more than it does pretty football has been exposed as woefully inadequate.
Match details:
Championship, Saturday, 20 March 2010 -
Nottingham Forest 1
Posh 0
GOALS: Forest – Earnshaw (13 mins).
REFEREE: Keith Hill (Hertfordshire) 4.
ATTENDANCE: 24,582 (1,684 Posh).
Yellow cards: Forest – Majewski (foul), Wilson (foul), Cohen (foul).
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Presumably Forest usually play better than this, but the evidence from the City Ground on Saturday was of a committed side full of big blokes prepared to intimidate and bully.
They did score a quality 13th minute goal through Robert Earnshaw following delightful passes from Chris Gunter and Radoslaw Majewski, but otherwise they displayed precious little class and finesse.
George Boyd’s arrival among this lot must be the most unlikely match-up since Peter Crouch found a WAG.
But Forest, quite rightly for a team in their position, will tell you that results are all that matter at this stage of the season and Earnshaw’s strike was enough to clinch an 11th successive home win.
Earnshaw was denied a second somersault by a fine Joe Lewis save almost immediately and the big keeper also produced outstanding stops to thwart strikes from Chris Cohen and Garath McCleary late in the game.
They were chances that were created on the break as Posh dominated possession in the second half, after replacing both full-backs at the interval.
Gannon’s men delivered some sweeping moves without carving out great opportunities.
Camp’s best moment arrived with a fine save from Gaby Zakuani’s close-range header from substitute Dominic Green’s corner on 51 minutes.
He also held on to a Craig Mackail-Smith header and a Green snapshot, but his most crucial intervention arrived midway through the first period when he stuck out a leg to stop Tommy Rowe scoring after a fine pass from Sergio Torres.
A goal then and Posh might have been able to rattle their high-flying opponents.
A second fit striker might also have helped as Forest possess two cumbersome centre-halves who will have Alan Hansen sharpening his tongue should they reach the Premier League.
Torres, Green and Charlie Lee all had promising runs to the edge of the area spoilt by weak shoots.
Forest’s better moves usually broke down with a poor cross or excellent positioning by the outstanding Zakuani.
Mark Little also performed well at centre-back for 45 minutes and then at right-back after the break, but it’s all been too little too late.
It might also have made a difference if referee Keith Hill had applied the correct punishment to Majewski’s awful first-half lunge at Scott Griffiths.
A yellow card, and incredibly the awful official appeared to indicate it was for persistent infringement rather than for the one ugly incident, was extremely lenient.
Hill’s foul detection by both sides was poor throughout, although he did give a masterclass in ensuring throw-ins were taken from the right place.
Player ratings:
Peterborough
JOE LEWIS 7
Looks a keeper at the top of his form, two quality late saves
KERREA GILBERT 5
Not been a happy stay at the club, loses position and his man too often
SCOTT GRIFFITHS 6
Battling effort as usual, hard to get past
MARK LITTLE 7
Excellent as an emergency centre-back and not bad at right- back, powerful player
GABY ZAKUANI 8
Outstanding defensive effort, always in the right place at the back and almost scored
EXODUS GEOHAGHON 6
Caught in possession when his touch is less than perfect, let no-one down though
CHARLIE LEE 6
Aggressive and determined and a couple of promising bursts forward
SERGIO TORRES 7
Looks lively in possession, given a new lease of life by this manager
TOMMY ROWE 6
Neat and tidy, but missed the best scoring opportunity
CHRIS WHELPDALE 6
Quiet display on his return to the side, but occasional moments of quality
C. MACKAIL-SMITH 6
Never gave up despite battling against two giants
Substitutes:
Reuben Reid: (for Gilbert, 46 mins). Enjoyed some skillful moments 6
Dominic Green: (for Griffiths 46 mins) Some neat touches and crosses 6
Not used: Josh Simpson, Jamie Day,
Nathan Koranteng, Billy Crook, James McKeown
Nottingham Forest ratings
Lee Camp 8
Chris Gunter 7
Chris Cohen 6
Wes Morgan 7
Kelvin Wilson 6
Paul Anderson 6
Guy Moussi 6
Radoslaw Majewski 6
James Perch 6
Robert Earnshaw 6
Dexter Blackstock 5
Luke Chambers: (for Perch, 21 mins).
Garath McCleary: (for Majewski, 75 mins).
Dele Adebola: (for Earnshaw, 86 mins).
Nathan Tyson: (not used).
Joe Garner: (not used).
David McGoldrick: (not used).
Paul Smith: (not used).
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