Super sub Hillal gets Forest out the woods
NOTTINGHAM FOREST are in their 20th season without Premier League football – but now finally they can dream of the big time again.
The 1979 and 1980 European Cup winners have hit problem after problem since relegation from the top flight in 1999.
But under Aitor Karanka – who won promotion at this level with Middlesbrough two years ago – along with a
£25million summer spending spree and 21,000 season tickets sold, confidence on the Trent is soaring.
It was one of the new signings, super sub Hillal Soudani, who saw off resilient Reading yesterday.
The Algerian star curled home a beauty on 68 minutes after climbing off the bench
12 minutes earlier. Karanka said: “I don’t feel the pressure but I know expectations are high. It is impossible to win every single game but it is important the crowd have a team to be proud of.
“It was a very important win in a very difficult game. It was a very good goal, we know Hillal is a good player and he has desire and passion which he brings to the whole squad.”
This was far from a perfect Forest performance but their squad now oozes class.
There never looked any danger that they would not win for the first time despite a performance that saw too many stray passes.
After Yakou Meite had been denied by Costel Pantilimon, Forest should have won at a canter.
Lewis Grabban punished Tiago Ilori’s hesitancy but missed a sitter, firing straight at Vito Mannone with only the keeper to beat.
Soudani broke the deadlock before Jon Dadi Bodvarsson was denied again with a header at the other end.
New boys Sam Byram and Michael Hefele were not even on the Forest bench.
Reading are now bottom of the table albeit after just two games but boss Paul Clement is not downbeat.
He said: “The reality is we’re an improving team and I don’t think a positive result is far away. We could be top of the table in three games’ time!”
CRYSTAL PALACE had to wait until mid-October for their first goal, let alone their first victory, last season.
And as for an away win, well, that didn’t arrive until the dark midwinter days of December.
But this time out they needed just one match to tick off all three milestones after goals from Jeffrey Schlupp and Wilfried Zaha dashed Fulham’s hopes of a winning return to the Premier League.
They had some good fortune that referee Mike Dean turned down what looked a stonewall penalty for the Cottagers with the score at 1-0, when Andre Schurrle went down under a challenge from Mamadou Sakho.
But Palace, who were completely outplayed for the first half an hour, gave Slavisa Jokanovic’s men a reminder of just how clinical their opponents will be at this level.
Eagles boss Roy Hodgson, who signed a contract extension in the build-up to the game, said: “It means a lot, given that dreadful run with seven games, no points or goals, minus 18 goal difference, to win a game – it took us until the end of October to get more than three points.
“We already have that now, so we’re happy.
“We didn’t start the game well, but that was largely due to Fulham starting well.
“They won the ball quickly, were sharp and quick into tackles, making it difficult to play the ball through midfield.
“But we got better and better. Scoring a goal helps to put a team on the back foot and in the second half, we were much better. Slavisa is probably not unhappy with the way his team played, but unhappy with the result. We scored two very good goals.”
Hodgson was right, Jokanovic wasn not unhappy with the way his side played and he refused to get angry with Dean over the rejected penalty appeal.
He praised Wayne Hennessey for keeping his side at bay but conceded they have things to work on as they chase their first points of this Premier League campaign.
Jokanovic said: “The Palace keeper made a few great saves.
“It’s a shame because we wanted to start in the Premier League with a positive result. We showed some positive things, but need to improve many things too.
“From my position, yes, it was a penalty, but the referee’s position was better.
“If he says no, it’s no. I don’t complain about this kind of situation. I was 60 yards from this decision. He was six.”
Hennessey was excellent, denying Cyrus Christie’s long-range effort and then keeping out Aleksandar Mitrovic with two good saves before the break and another late on.
Ryan Sessegnon also found the Welshman in great form.
Fulham splashed more than