Forest and City goalless at half-time

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NOTTINGHAM FOREST 0, BRISTOL CITY 0 (half-time)

​City boss Gary Johnson made two changes to his starting line-up at Nottingham Forest. If the return of Scottish international Paul Hartley at the expense of Lee Johnson in the centre of midfield came as little surprise, the same coulod not be said of the manager's decision to omit centre-back Jamie McCombe and recall Costa Rica striker Alvaro Saborio. Those changes signalled a switch to a 4-3-3 formation with Saborio joining Danny Haynes and leading scorer Nicky Maynard in a three-pronged attack.

McCombe was dropped to a bench which featured fit-again defender Liam Fontaine and teenage forward John Akinde. Unbeaten in their last seven games, Forest retained the side which started at Cardiff last time out, a selection which meant former City striker Dele Adebola remaining on the bench.

The last meeting between two sides proved a feisty encounter and this proved no difference when controversy flared in the opening few seconds. Chasing a lost cause, City forward Maynard was late with a lunging challenge on Chris Gunter which left the former Cardiff defender writhing in agony. Although the crowd were baying for the striker to be sent off, referee Anthony Taylor remained unmoved and issued a yellow instead.

Forest were the first to threaten in the final third, Polish midfielder Radoslaw Mejewski playing Paul Anderson in behind City’s back four and forcing keeper Dean Gerken to race from his line to smother the danger. City responded with a sweeping counter-attack of their own, Maynard meeting Jamie McAllister’s cross with a downward header which drifted harmlessly wide.

Although chances were few and far between, Gerken remained the busier of the two goalkeepers and he displayed total disregard for his own safety when hurling himself into a phalanx of players to punch clear an in-swinging free kick from Chris Cohen after 20 minutes. Frustrated by their team’s lack of success against a well-drilled rearguard, Forest fans voiced their disapproval when Evander Sno clattered into Paul McKenna a few moments later. Once again, referee Taylor saw fit to brandish a yellow card.

City could have no complaints about the cautions for Maynard and Sno and it was the home side who were experiencing most frustration as they continued to run into a proverbial brick wall in midfield. Their lack of punch up front notwithstanding, the visitors were showing signs of winning the battle in the middle of the park and Hartley and Sno, in particular, were causing Forest problems with the accuracy of their passing.

Unable to break down their opponents, Forest resorted to shooting from range and Joe Garner was narrowly off target with a fierce drive from fully 30 yards. Majewski went closer still moments later, testing Gerken with a shot the keeper took at head height, while City’s commitment to the cause again spilled over when Marvin Elliott went in late on Gunter to become the third visiting player to enter the referee’s notebook.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ForestForest Forest (4-2-1-3): Camp; Gunter, Morgan, Wilson, Cohen; McKenna, Moussi; Makewski; Garner, McGoldrick, Anderson.

City (4-3-3): Gerken; Skuse, Carey, Nyatanga, McAllister; Elliott, Hartley, Sno, Haynes, Maynard, Saborio.

Referee: Anthony Taylor (Manchester)