Bristol City hurt by former transfer targets
Gary Johnson must have known exactly what to expect from Forest hot-shots Joe Garner and Nathan Tyson – after all, City's manager had shown more than a passing interest in the pair in recent months.
He inquired as to Garner's availability when the pint-sized striker was scoring goals for fun up at Carlisle earlier this year, only to be frightened off by the asking price.
Similarly, his attempt to prise the greyhound-like Tyson from the City Ground during the close season ended in failure when Forest rejected a six-figure bid from their Championship rivals.
Assiduous in his preparation, Johnson no doubt did his homework on both players before declaring an interest. A pity, then, that City's players did not heed the warning issued by their boss prior to kick-off.
Post-match talk was of Michael McIndoe's injury-time penalty misery and how Lee Camp's finger-tip save had cost City the victory which would have propelled them back into the play-off zone.
But to attribute blame solely in that quarter is to miss the point. That City again failed to translate home advantage into points was down to rank bad defending rather than deficiencies in front of goal.
Sure, McIndoe could and should have scored twice, while Dele Adebola was also guilty of squandering a chance of the clear-cut variety. But in the final analysis, Forest benefited from goals that came gift-wrapped from a defence uncharacteristically porous when exposed to pace and guile.
Johnson was sufficiently impressed by Tyson's speed to make Forest a substantial offer. How he must have wished the east Midlands club had accepted that bid as the former Wycombe striker demonstrated searing pace to out-strip Liam Fontaine before pulling the ball back from the by-line to present the predatory Garner with an opportunity to do what he does best – hit the net from close range.
When substitute Cole Skuse, a replacement for the injured Jamie McCombe, failed to cut out a long punt from Luke Chambers two minutes into the second half, Tyson surged past him, accelerating clear of the befuddled Bristolian to beat goalkeeper Adriano Basso with a cool finish, at which point, Johnson's discomfiture on the touchline must have been acute.
Johnson later suggested Fontaine should have risked a yellow card by depositing Tyson into the Premier seating in the Williams Stand rather than allowing the Forest raider to turn and build a head of steam. Afforded the benefit of hindsight, Fontaine was himself inclined to agree with that colourful assessment.
"I have to take responsibility, the first goal was down to me," admitted the Londoner. "I should have gone in and made a challenge the instant he received the ball.
"Once he had turned and accelerated, he was away. There was a moment when I thought I could get the ball off him, but he was just too quick."
He added: "The second goal was just as soft. We had a chance to clear but missed the header and allowed Tyson to get in again. We've been really solid at the back recently and kept a lot of clean sheets, but we weren't tight enough.
"Macca (McIndoe) will blame himself, but it's not really his fault. He was big enough to step up and take the penalty after missing one at Southampton last week and we're all behind him.
"In the end, it felt like a defeat rather than a draw, but we only have ourselves to blame for giving those goals away and making life difficult."
That City twice came from behind to claim a point says much about the resilience which is keeping them in the play-off hunt as the season enters its middle third.
Under pressure to improve results at Ashton Gate, the Robins could have buckled, instead of which they refused to lie down without a fight and took the game to a Forest side which is finally demonstrating the consistency required to extricate itself from the relegation mire.
Johnson's decision to deploy just the one striker at home was questioned by some in the press box, but City still created sufficient openings to have been comfortably in front at the break.
Only McIndoe will know how he contrived to miss the target after being teed-up by David Noble in the fifth minute. Adebola then fired high and wide after Lee Johnson's astute pass put him in.
When it finally arrived seven minutes before half-time, City's equaliser owed everything to the power Marvin Elliott generates with his fearsome right foot. Berated by his irate manager for passing up an earlier shooting opportunity, the midfield powerhouse did not hesitate when finding himself in a similar position.
Adebola rolled the ball invitingly into Elliott's path and he took a touch to steady himself before smashing an unstoppable shot into the top left-hand corner of the net from 25 yards.
Parity restored, City must have fancied their chances of victory, only for their defence to implode once more.
Elliott fired over from Johnson's cross to the far post, substitute Stern John saw his effort cleared off the line by Chambers and City fans were succumbing to a familiar sinking feeling when Fontaine made amends for his earlier gaffe in spectacular fashion, lashing in only his third senior goal from the edge of the penalty area to set-up a rousing finale.
Forest had opportunities to force victory, notably when Basso made a flying save to deny Chambers and James Perch sent an effort inches off target from Chris Cohen's free kick. But the best chance of all fell to City.
Chambers was inconsolable when, deep into time added on, he was adjudged to have pushed the wily John inside the 18-yard box. Having gone for power and put his spot kick too close to the keeper at Southampton the previous week, McIndoe opted for placement, only to be denied by Camp's full-length dive.
In truth, any other outcome would have represented rough justice on a Forest side which fully played their part in a contest which served as a wonderful advert for Championship football.
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