TROTTER RETURN HAUNTS IPSWICH
NOTTINGHAM Forest boss Dougie Freedman insists wins will soon come if his side maintain their belief in each other.
It had looked like Ipswich would take all three points after Jonathan Parr gave his side a 75th-minute lead.
But an injury-time goal from debutant Liam Trotter rescued a dramatic point for Forest to claim their second home draw in a week.
And, despite having failed to win any of their last six games, Freedman is confident a change in fortune is just around the corner.
“I am happy with our performance, we have turned zero points into a fantastic point,” he said.
“We showed great spirit after falling behind and have battled right until the very end.
“We created a number of good chances in the first half and could have been 3-0 up at the break, but that is a common theme at the moment.
“It is important that we maintain our high standards of performance and keep believing in ourselves.
“I am sure that a change in fortune is around the corner if we keep believing in ourselves. We are on the right path and the wins will come.”
It was the hosts who had started the brighter with Ryan Mendes firing inches wide from a narrow angle on 12 minutes after Forest caught the visitors on the break.
Dean Gerken pulled off an excellent double save to deny Trotter – signed on loan from Bolton earlier in the day – and then Jamie Ward after a pin-point Mendes pass opened up the defence on 29 minutes.
Oliveira hammered a rising effort straight at Gerken seven minutes later after Mendes’ surging run across the box caused more problems.
Mendes found the side netting on 41 minutes, before shooting wide in injury-time as the home side continued to look most likely to break the deadlock.
Ward skied an effort high and wide following good link-up play with Mendes as Forest started the second half brightly.
It took until the 56th minute for Ipswich to register an effort but Dorus De Vries proved equal to it.
David McGoldrick then saw a goalbound effort from outside the box beaten away by De Vries as the Tractor Boys finally sprung into life.
And that new confidence was rewarded on 75 minutes when substitute Parr rifled an effort into the top left corner after Forest failed to clear Kevin Bru’s cross.
But it was not be as Ipswich-born Trotter broke the hearts of his hometown club in the fifth minute of injury-time.
Jorge Grant’s low shot was cleared off the line and fell invitingly into Trotter’s path who took his chance with ease, after Gerken fumbled the initial cross.
Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy struggled to hide his disappointment after watching his side chuck the points away at the death.
“We have got a point and played well but it feels like a defeat,” McCarthy said. “I am very disappointed with the result, we were not really hanging on at the end and we should not have let them get the cross away.
“We did well to clear the ball off the line, but it has fallen to Trotter. It seems it is just the way things are going at the moment.
“Gerken has been fantastic for us and he is as disappointed as anyone with the goal, but I am certainly not going to point the finger of blame.
“We should have made more of our second half chances and wrapped the game up, but I am pleased with our overall performance.”