Sammy strikes to put Reds on brink of play-offs
AMEOBI AT THE DOUBLE TO SECURE HOME DRAW
SABRI Lamouchi was “satisfied” with a point as Nottingham Forest were made to wait to confirm a Championship play-off place.
Victory against Swansea City would have clinched a top six finish for the Reds but they had to settle for a 2-2 draw at the City Ground last night.
They were twice forced to come from behind, after Rhian Brewster’s opener and a penalty from Andre Ayew before the break.
But Sammy Ameobi came to the rescue with two stunning individual efforts to leave Lamouchi’s men in fifth, five points ahead of seventhplaced Millwall with two games to go.
“We started in the wrong way, conceding the first goal. In my opinion, it was so easy for them,” said Forest head coach Lamouchi.
“After that, there was a good reaction with a goal from Sammy.
“Then we conceded a penalty before the break.
“We didn’t play so well in the first half - not like how we planned. But it was a very positive reaction in the second half from the boys.
“We got back in the game and we tried with the substitutions to win the game but unfortunately we took only one point tonight.
“Sometimes we need to take more time and be more patient.”
Lamouchi brought on Joe Lolley, Tiago Silva, Alex Mighten, Adama Diakhaby and Michael Dawson in the second half, to try to find a winner.
Naughton was sent off for the visitors with eight minutes remaining, for a tackle on Mighten but the Reds were unable to find a way through.
“They played the last 10 minutes or so with one player less,” Lamouchi said.
“Sometimes we took the wrong decision but the players played much better in the second half than in the first.
“But it was just one point. “If you ask if I’m satisfied? Yes, with the point. But we tried to play for the victory. “Tonight it wasn’t possible. “The way we started was clearly wrong. We played without confidence and tactically we weren’t in a good position – not organised like usual.
“Swansea are a good team and have good players, and they showed that tonight.
“Sammy was a good inspiration with two nice goals.”
Forest travel to Barnsley on Sunday before hosting Stoke City next Wednesday in their final two games.
“We won’t be more relaxed going into those games,” said Lamouchi. “We will try to take more points.
“We will try to have a rest before then because the players are so tired and used a lot of energy.
“We just need to switch off from this game and think about the next game, in Barnsley.”
The hosts got off to the worst possible start as their opponents looked bright from the off.
After Ayew had headed a decent chance wide and Connor Roberts had fired into the side-netting before
the deadlock was broken with eight minutes gone.
Brewster swept home a cross from the left to put the visitors in front.
Forest had struggled to get going but found themselves back on level terms thanks to a brilliant individual effort from Ameobi.
Latching on to Yuri Ribeiro’s pass, the winger showed strength and skill to fashion an opening for himself before bending the ball into the top corner with 20 minutes gone.
He almost bagged a second as half-time neared, with a cross-shot which went inches wide of the far post, following a good run by Samba Sow.
But it was the Swans who went ahead again before the break, with a disputed penalty.
Ryan Yates was judged to have fouled Ayew inside the area and the Swansea man found the net from the spot, to leave the Reds with work to do in the second half.
It was Ameobi who came up trumps again, levelling with another superb strike before the hour, when he cut inside and found the bottom corner.
City went down to 10 men for the final eight minutes when Naughton was dismissed for a tackle on substitute Mighten.
And though Forest pushed for a winner, they had to make do with a point, taking their play-off hopes into the final two games of the season.