Brum survive in the Forest
AITOR KARANKA hailed his Birmingham players for stopping the rot of three successive defeats and predicted better times ahead.
The Blues boss insisted: “This was a big point and we deserved it. The main thing is we did not make the same mistakes of the last three games and now we must rediscover our consistency.”
Counterpart Chris Hughton tried to draw on the positives of a stalemate.
He said: “It was a tough old battle and there were aspects of the performance which pleased me. Another clean sheet. I wasn’t happy with the way we started though.”
One consequence of fan-free football is that what is being said – or shouted – by players, coach and managers often carries into the press box.
Joe Worrall protesting his innocence at a challenge judged a foul actually threatened to be the most entertaining moment of the first 45 minutes.
Birmingham are a side who struggle creatively and travel badly, not the best combination. What Karanka’s team did do, though, was graft and snap at Forest’s ankles trying to disrupt.
The tactics served to frustrate and when Forest did create a decent opening, Blues keeper Neil Etheridge was there to save from Ryan Yates and Sammy Ameobi.
To Birmingham’s credit they upped the ante in the second half and even forced Brice Samba into some action when Ivan Sanchez set up Ivan
Sunjic to shoot only to be foiled by the Forest keeper.
Forest threw on attackers but the visitors held firm.
NOTT’M FOREST: Samba 8; Christie 7, Figueiredo 6, Worrall 7, Ribeiro 6; Yates 7, Sow 6 (Taylor, 61, 5); Ameobi 5 (Knockaert, 61, 5), Cafu 7, Mighten 6 (Lolley, 68, 4); Grabban 6.
Unused subs: Smith, Soh, Bong, Jenkinson, Guerrero, Arter. BIRMINGHAM : Etheridge 8; Colin 7, Roberts 6, Dean 7, Friend 6; Sunjic 7, Clayton 6; Sanchez 7, Halilovic 6 (Gardner, 46, 5), Bela 5; Hogan 6 (Jutkiewicz, 90)
Unused subs: Prieto, Pedersen, Kieftenbeld, Leko, McGree, San Jose, Dacres-Cogley.
MAN OF MATCH: Brice Samba. On a day when little was created, saves still needed to be made.
Jeremy Simpson 6.