Nottingham Forest 2 Burnley 0: report

Nottingham Forest 2 Burnley 0: report

Read a full match report of the npower Championship game between Nottingham Forest and Burnley on Tuesday, April 12.

Seeing red: Marvin Bartley was sent off for this foul on Nottingham Forest's Luke Chambers  Photo: ACTION IMAGES

By Sandy Macaskill 10:10PM BST 12 Apr 2011

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According to an excitable City Ground disc jockey, the boys are back in town. After nine matches of misery, Nottingham Forest, finally managed to stop themselves coming apart at the seams while stringing enough pretty passes together to score two goals.

True, their opposition was an out-of-form Burnley — reduced to 10 men after 32 minutes to boot — but this victory puts Forest back in contention for the play-offs.

Until they suffered three defeats in their last three games, Forest had seemed dead certs to finish in the top six, but a comprehensive collapse since February has left them without confidence and their manager Billy Davies in a combustible mood (even by his standards). He can count himself lucky to have only got a talking-to after giving Jon Moss some grief Glasgow-style.

This was one of those matches when both managers later claim their respective sides controlled proceedings. Neither did, until Marvin Bartley wiped out Luke Chambers with a poorly-timed sliding tackle.

After some push and shove involving practically everyone on the pitch — totally unnecessary — Moss dismissed the Burnley midfielder. “If you’re gonna get sent off for that, I’ll have to tell him not to make a tackle,” said an irritated Eddie Howe.

The contest needed the red meat: Chris Eagles had had a shot saved by one of Lee Camp’s flailing legs after Nathan Delfouneso had fooled everyone by controlling a high ball in the Forest area with his back, but there had been little else for the crowd — the lowest of the season here — to get excited about.

Matters improved in the second half. Tyrone Mears fouled Chambers and Lewis McGugan’s free-kick looked certain to go in until Jensen saved with an iron right fist. Rob Earnshaw, perfectly placed to profit, headed onto the bar.

It was another silly foul which did for Burnley, Duff grabbing a fistful of McGugan’s shirt. The midfielder lashed his free-kick into the thick of things and McGoldrick — introduced two minutes previously for Marcus Tudgay —put the loose ball in with his first touch.

His second came in injury time, leaving Forest one point outside the play-offs with five games to play, and the DJ spinning Thin Lizzy as the crowd headed happily into the night.
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