Howe did they do that?

The International Break was preceded by a stunning win at Brighton. The first game afterwards was a home game to AFC Bournemouth. My father was born in Christchurch in Hampshire and supported Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic. The team has changed it's name and it's county, as it now resides in Dorset thanks some planner or other.

This was expected to be an easy win for Forest as the South coast team are just up from League 1 and taking time to adjust to life in the Championship. However, they were in mid-table when they visited the CG and possessed a couple of nippy forwards, one of whom, Grabban, was scoring freely. Their young manager, Eddie Howe, is also proving, once again, that he can motivate his team.

Now, I'm not a tactical sort of chap. Not only have tactics changed dramatically since I played football, but I've always just followed the game in front of me and enjoyed it for the cut and thrust, without trying to work out if it's 4-4-2 or 4-3-2-1-1 or whatever. In this game Bournemouth had two tricky and quite small (relatively speaking) forwards whilst we played one big, burly forward, so it was always going to be a contest of differing tactics, with one team predominantly playing it on the ground against the other playing it more in the air. And so it proved.

With the records of both clubs showing an ability to score goals and concede a few as well, an open and exciting game was in prospect. Forest had 21 goal attempts and Bournemouth 13. Overall, I think Forest had the better, clearer chances, but only managed the one goal, from Lansbury, who scored with a brilliant 30 yard shot which really couldn't even be rated as a chance. He was so far out and in an unpromising position, but took it very well indeed.

The first half was broken up firstly by the Bournemouth goalie Henderson falling awkwardly and dislocating his shoulder and secondly by the linesman on the Main Stand side pulling a muscle and having to hand his flag over to the 4th Official. This gentleman created a great deal of mirth, by insisting on going through a warming up routine similar to that practised by the substitutes, right in front of A Block. All for running up the touchline for 15 minutes until half time!! Seven minutes of added time in this half.

The second half was similar to the first. Chances to both sides, but nothing scored. Forest contrived to miss an open goal at one point (Henderson, after passing the goalie, pushed the ball wide of a post) and also had a goal disallowed for climbing on a defender before planting a powerful header in the net. Then, after a period of pressure by Bournemouth, right at the start of added time, the tricky forward pairing of Bournemouth teased our defence once more, the ball squirted out to Marc Pugh on the left angle of the penalty area and the seasiders had their equaliser. They had had their chances throughout the match, but Forest had more and paid for their slack finishing by dropping two points.

In those circumstances, it feels like a defeat to lose a goal in the last minute.

Hopefully next week at Yeovil we will see, but not notice, the referee and Forest will, at last, take a few of the chances created and score some goals.