Nottingham Forest Away Lost 3 – 2
No surprise that Dibling was missing at Nottingham Forest, and a few more places too by all accounts – just when it seemed we had stumbled on a potent forward partnership. Ivan addressed the problem by opting to do without Sulemana as well with, Archer and Armstrong back in harness, and recalling the old adage of doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results being the definition of insanity. It was, though, an even more familiar failing in the first period that left travelling fans wondering why they’d bothered. On 12 minutes, Wood blocked off Bednarek’s hopes of stopping Anderson‘s shot which maybe should have been saved anyway. Then Bree surprised Bednarek with a Russball pass that wasn’t controlled and Hudson-Odoi swept home the loose ball after Wood gave Forest possession. It was Wood himself who got a third, still before half time, by taking advantage of Bednarek’s soft marking. I don’t suppose a losing dressing room is very pleasant under Ivan Jurić, even if the players are getting used to it, and Downes in particular would have suffered as he was replaced by Ugochukwu at the restart – Big Les probably wondered why he’d been dropped anyway. As we had to rely on a Ramsdale double save to avoid going four down, this was less an influential change than the later ones that ditched Suagawara, Archer and Armstrong and with Sulemana and Onuachu, at least there was now some purpose in going forward. It took a bit of good fortune to get a toehold back in the match when Ugochukwu’s shot looped into the net off Bednarek who slow-mo showed to have played at the ball – as well as being marginally onside. VAR was on our side there, and it saved blushes at the other end when, from a free kick, Ramsdale fumbled Milenković’s header over the line – Wood was offside and, more controversially, somewhere vaguely in the keeper’s eyeline. Time was running short when Onuachu forced a save from Sels, prompting cries of ‘if Tall Paul scores, we’re in the Trent.’ That was not an attractive prospect on a bitter day, but Onuachu played his part in the bargain moments later by scoring with a powerful header from a corner. We were now in added time but there was 12 minutes of it, and Saints came so close to a dramatic comeback as Bednarek headed another corner goalwards only for Aina to complete a spectacular goal-line clearance. Sometimes it seems that there’s a decent enough side trying to get out, but it’s the ‘Mr. Hyde’ version that keeps us pointless.
Three LSSC Man of the Second Half candidates for you to choose from:
20 Kamaldeen Sulemana, up against another full back he can get past at will – an impossibility for him under Russball.
32. Paul Onuachu. A first goal – the nearest he’d come previously was the saved header, also in this match.
38. Lesley Ugochukwu, denied credit for a goal but contributing more than most to the revival.
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