Full-time: Bristol City 0, Nottingham Forest 0
BRISTOL CITY 0, NOTTINGHAM FOREST 0
CITY remain just outside the npower Championship drop zone after fighting out a stalemate with fellow strugglers Forest at Ashton Gate.
But thay had veteran keeper David James to thank for taking a point, the former England man making two brilliant saves, one in either half, to deny Reds striker Marcus Tudgay.
For their part, the Robins suffered a frustrating afternoon in front of goal, scarcely conjuring a single shot on target as an injury-hit Forest defence battled to keep them out.
Star players Albert Adomah and Nicky Maynard were kept quiet and, in the final analysis, neither team did quite enough to win.
Forest may have been without a goal or a point in their last four games, but their confidence did not seem to have been dented and they began the brighter of the two sides, the recalled Lewis McGugan testing City keeper David James with a range-finder after just four minutes.
With so much at stake, it was never likely to be pretty and the game was hardly helped by a string of fouls and more or less constant interruptions.
When City stars Nicky Maynard and Albert Adomah finally combined, the latter sent dragged the ball back across the face of the goal without another red shirt in sight.
City's frustration was apparent when Cole Skuse challenged Forest left-back Greg Cunningham for a 50-50 ball and was harshly shown a yellow card by referee Brendan Malone.
Already without key defender Wes Morgan, Forest suffered further unwanted disruption a couple of minutes later, Joel Lynch limping out of the game to be replaced by Brendan Maloney. A midfielder by trade, the new arrival had no choice but to slot in alongside Luke Chambers at the heart of a depleted back four.
Despite their injury problems, Forest continued to carve out the better chances and Marcus Tudgay twice had shots blocked as the Robins were forced to resort to desperate defence.
And City were fortunate to survive on the half-hour mark, Tudgay again firing in a hard, low shot, only to see former England keeper James make an astonishing reaction save on the line.
That let-off seemed to kick-start the home side, who responded with their most fluent move of the half. Skuse, Neil Kilkenny and Adomah were all involved in a build-up which culminated in Martyn Woolford skipping inside a tackle and letting fly with a left-footed drive from the edge of the 18 yard box which flew inches wide of Lee Camp's goal.
Skuse and Pearson then combined to create another opening, but Chambers was alert and cleared the danger before Maynard was able to pounce.
There was scarcely any improvement in the fare after the interval, Radoslaw Majewski shooting over from a narrow angle for Forest and Woolford volleying into the side netting from a Skuse cross as City laboured to carve out a clear-cut opportunity.
Maynard cut a lonely figure up front on his own and City boss McInnes was no doubt considering introducing Brett Pitman and switching to a 4-4-2 formation in a bid to force the issue.
City managed to exert some pressure as the half wore on and Maynard threaded a slide-rule pass into the path of Adomah, whose shot flashed across the face of goal and behind.
Adomah was finding more and more room as the game stretched and Camp had to be alert to hold his rising shot after more good work by Maynard.
Forest still represented a threat on the counter-attack and James was forced into action, tipping a cross-***-shot from Paul Anderson over the bar.
Brett Pitman then replaced Woolford on 67 minutes as McInnes attempted to give his side more bite in the final third.
But it was Forest who came closest to breaking the deadlock, Tudgay meeting Greg Cunningham's deep cross with a header that forced James into a brilliant save.
City pressed for the winner at the death and Adomah held his head in his hands after shooting agonisingly wide in time added on.
City (4-5-1): James; Skuse, Fontaine, Nyatanga, McGivern; Adomah, Elliott, Kilkenny (Clarkson 90), Woolford (Pitman 67), Pearson; Maynard (Cisse 89).
Forest (4-4-2): Camp; Gunter, Chambers, Lynch (Maloney 22), Cunningham; Majewski, McGugan, Greening, Anderson; Tudgay, Blackstock.
Referee: Brendan Malone (Wiltshire)
Attendance: 13,121
19 Comments
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by DazzyBoy
Monday, December 19 2011, 1:59PM
“If you paid thirty quid to watch that rubbish, you would be thinking hard next game!
Why play 4-5-1 at home against a team that have not scored for four games! even if you haven't got a target man, surely starting with Pitman and Maynard upfront would have been better.
Delboy's honeymoon period is over, lets hope he starts playing the best balanced formation in football 4-4-2, Millen played with a lone striker and look where it got him!!”
by Cider_Dog
Monday, December 19 2011, 9:16AM
“I agree with what others are posting; Kilkenny was far too deep and as I mentioned before Woolford is not robust enough in a packed midfield. Forest got exactly what they came for so fair play to them, but we should play to our strengths more and play the ball out from the back quicker at home giving Albert Adomah balls to run onto not hugging the touchline waiting for the ball to arrive (with 2 Forest midfielders already on him).
I can understand the thinking behind DM's tactics (especially after the last 2 games), but personally I would have liked to have seen us take a few more risks at home and have more confidence in our strengths. Ultimately it is all about survival, but nothing ventured, nothing gained...”
by GasDownUnder
Monday, December 19 2011, 12:45AM
“Saw the James saves on Fox yesterday that stopped you from losing 0-2. Never been a big fan but got your moneys worth there. Like us you need to be beating teams below you as they are effectively 6 point matches or could be at some stage during the season.
IRONS
Your boys top the CShip must be happy.”
by Frankclack
Sunday, December 18 2011, 10:35PM
“Another game where not only did we not score, we never really looked like scoring.
I drafted out my thoughts on the game, but then realised that I'd already written them a week ago after the Derby game, so here they are again ............
"Whatever Nicky Maynard achieves in football, I don't think that he is ever going to make a lone striker, and too many times he is left isolated. Either he needs support or he needs a more free role a la Thierry Henry down the left hand side of the field, with a "bludgeon" to bear the brunt in the centre. The City have too quickly become predictable in attack.
The midfield still lacks quality and we urgently need a "General". Kilkenny has improved of late, and if he had much brawn as he has mouth, he would impose himself more on the game, but he is too easily subdued. With the exception of Adomah, who is, and possibly always will be, a law unto himself, the rest are squad players. The younger ones may improve over time, but the Championship is unforgiving.
We will retain our place in this league, but not without a struggle and someone on-field to properly organise the defence. The important thing is to be patient, to trust the manager, and to hope that SL still has a few pounds left, tucked away under the bed. We're going to need them in January if March is not to be squeaky bumtime."
I said then that we have to be patient and trust the manager, but I do hope that he has a "route-map". It would be reassuring if he could find time to explain some of his team selections, starting with why he left Cisse out on Saturday and played Kilkenny deep. I sometimes wonder whether we spend too much time tinkering with the City team in order to deal with real of perceived threats from the opposition, when we should be selecting our best eleven and starting the games confidently as if we are expecting to win, instead of creeping cautiously into the game and seeing how it goes, only to end up chasing a face saving result.
Let the opposition do the worrying, especially when we are playing at home.
With the exception of McGivern we could have fielded the team that beat Southampton, and played with the same spirit and determination, why didn't we?
Surely the bubble hasn't burst already!”
by InnaYnwa
Sunday, December 18 2011, 8:47PM
“We murdered them: 0-0 (c)”
by piledriver
Sunday, December 18 2011, 4:16PM
“We need something different up front? (Del)
Yes and we have two different players in Stead (Fit) & Taylor (Fit in two weeks) who can win it, hold it up and link play.Maynard can't do that but will do well next to that type of player..Two up top is now a must unless you know a may to win without scoring.
9 goals in 11 home games........come on.Only four shots on target and two corners on Sat v a team that hasn't scored in FIVE games.
Then add a creative midfielder who can give the wingers Adomah and a signing on the left the ball and we might have a chance.”
by marmeliser
Sunday, December 18 2011, 3:27PM
“if d mac had any doubts about where to strengthen, who cuts it and who doesn't, i think he knows now.
as i've said ad infinitum, this is no more than a suvival season. 4th from bottom will do. all the player talk about play-offs, and. ludicrously at the start of the season, talking about promotion is utter CRUD.
the complacency kicked in after the 6 game run - the maynard 'lets do a huddersfield' interview showed that. i'm afraid it also showed that, as always, the PR control at the club is lamentable.
if adomah gets sold, city are in BIG trouble. d mac targets - a brilliant replacement if he goes; a mobile, goater style centre forward, a creative, goal scoring midfielder, and a really 'nasty' centre back. a la shaun taylor.
it's not 'critical' yet - but its totally VITAL”
by bcfc55
Sunday, December 18 2011, 10:31AM
“.......What is with 4-5-1 again at home? Why Woolford instead of Cisse? Why Woolford at all in fact! Despite 2 outstanding saves will James ever learn to improve his woeful kicking and throwing? (ball comes right back folks!) We are certainly a one trick pony with Albert the only spark of invention with Kilkenny playing so deep again. Maynard? Feel sorry for him as he is not "that" kind of striker.....must be able to use his skill with ball to feet. And least we forget it.......wish I could.....sideways, sideways, backwards, sideways again...and again......good grief dare one say it, as bad as Millen without the daft goals at the back. A braver Forest could have won it. We hardly tested Kemp did we? Plan B urgently required........and by the way what FL clown decided that that was our holiday fixture. Why no home game until 3rd January? Questions, questions, questions.......Ba Humbug!
Well Del now knows without a doubt what he must do to build his team and”
by harryreg_uk
Sunday, December 18 2011, 9:30AM
“Spot on RN1, we've beed found out and the last 4 teams know exactly how to stifle us.
Del needs a new plan (and fast), the players seem to be slipping back to their old selves”
by rocketbob
Saturday, December 17 2011, 8:58PM
“Both teams packed midfield to no avail. With Kilkenny playing deep we have noone to open the door.The need of both teams not to lose was the priorty today.
Regretfully that doesn`t help the occasional fan who did not get value for money today.
DM now knows the players he has to work with and i should imagine there will be more than a few departures when contracts are up.
The problem being he has to fight off relegation before rebuilding for the future.”