Nottingham Forest 2-3 Fulham (Premier League) 16.09.22

A crazy six minutes early in the second half put pay to some good work either side as Nottingham Forest for the second successive home game threw away a lead to lose 3-2 against fellow promoted opponents.

Taiwo Awoniyi gave Forest the perfect start, heading home after Ryan Yates flicked a Morgan Gibbs-White corner into his path, the Reds ahead inside eleven minutes with the Nigerian’s second goal in garibaldi.

Dean Henderson was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the first half, the hosts worthy of their lead going into half time despite the away sides possession grip, but after the break, a corner on 54 minutes by Willian was headed home by Adarabioyo for a leveller, the defender losing his marker Ryan Yates to get the Cottagers back in the game.

And in the match they were, a slick passing move three minutes later was magnificently finished with a curling peach by Palinha from outside the box. A few moments later it was 3-1 to the away side, Bobby Reid breaking down the left, Harrison Reed running in unmarked to finish.

Forest devastated by six minutes of madness, did manage to claw themselves back in the game, Awoniyi headed another flicked corner agonisingly wide when it looked like he scored, but substitute Lewis O’Brien did score, after good work by Brennan Johnson down the right after being put through by Jesse Lingard.

The Reds huffed and puffed late on but Fulham held out, an impressive performance from the away side who were clinical and cut throat, very good in possession, the Reds conceding too easily will need to learn from the mistakes they are making, Head Coach Steve Cooper stating after “We just aren’t managing conceding the first goal very well. We want to keep a clean sheet, but when we do concede a goal we aren’t settled enough after.”

Nottingham Forest: Henderson, Boly (Worrall 63), Cook (Lingard 63), McKenna, Williams (Dennis 88), Yates, Freuler (O’Brien 70), Lodi, Gibbs-White, Johnson, Awoniyi (Surridge 70).

Fulham: Leno, Tete, Adarabioyo, Diop, Ream, Reed, Palinha, Willian, Pereira (Cairney 83), Reid (Kebano 90), Mitrovic (Carlos Vinicius 90).

Venue: City Ground (28,654)

*Main image @NFFC Morgan Gibbs-White in action for Forest.