LOLLEY LICKS LUTON
JOE LOLLEY led a Nottingham Forest comeback and then claimed they are one of the sides who can chase down the Championship’s top two, West Bromwich and Leeds.
Lolley was on target twice as Forest maintained their promotion push against bottomplaced Luton. If fifth-placed Forest can beat Reading at home on Wednesday, they will move to within two points of second-placed Leeds.
Forest have won 13 points from 15 since Boxing Day, though manager Sabri Lamouchi doesn’t dare talk of promotion, knowing it is nine years since Forest made the play-offs.
And he is right to be wary after a shoddy start to this game from his side. Luton took a shock lead through Harry Cornick when he latched on to a Dan Potts pass in the 23rd minute.
Lolley equalised 13 minutes later, but admitted he needed a bit of fortune thanks to an error from Hatters keeper Simon Sluga, who allowed the shot to go straight through his hands.
But Lolley’s second was spectacular, as he found the net with a swerving effort from 20 yards that gave Sluga no chance.
Forest rubber- stamped their victory in the 89th minute when Lewis Grabban made it 15 for the season from the penalty spot after Sonny Bradley had handled Tiago Silva’s free-kick in the Luton wall. ‘ The teams at the top probably feel a little more pressure,’ Lolley said. ‘There’s a touch more freedom about us.
‘Six or seven games ago the whole division was looking and thinking, “Is anyone going to catch the top two?” They didn’t look like stopping.
‘Now there are four or five teams thinking, “Why not us?” There’s a lot of competition and a lot of points dropped.
‘Our form is four wins and a draw, we have to keep going. We’ve got Leeds and West Brom to play next month. They’ll be massive games.’
Lamouchi would not be drawn on Forest’s prospects or the possibility of a first signing of the January window, with Huddersfield winger Adama Diakhaby, 23, expected to join.
‘Some people want to believe. But my job is to focus on the next game,’ Lamouchi said of his side’s promotion prospects. ‘I’m happy with the result. But we need to play much better. We want to see it exactly like Lolley in every game.
‘He was man of the match, but all players from the squad are needed because the race is very long.’
Lolley believes this was his best display this season. ‘ In terms of productivity and the two goals, it was perfect,’ he said.
This was Luton’s 10th away defeat in a row, but boss Graeme Jones saw positives — even though he knew Sluga’s slip was a turning point.
‘It was a soft finish in the end and that was disappointing,’ he said. ‘But I prefer to talk about the positives because I was disappointed last week and here was the mentality I have been waiting for all season.’