A HIT FOR BORO
Club record signing has day to forget on return
Howson’s ball over the top in the first half.
The 24-year-old, who scored 30 goals in 65 league starts for Forest, was denied by goalkeeper Jordan Smith in a similar move after the restart. He also wasted a mis-hit a volley at the back post.
Middlesbrough boss Garry Monk didn’t want to focus on Assombalonga. The manager, whose side have lost both away games at Wolves and now Forest, said: “I can’t be critical of any of them. Barring that first 20 minutes, and even then I don’t feel we were being cut open and they were creating loads of chances, I think we did more than enough.
“I can’t focus on anyone. Sometimes it happens in football and this was one of those games. We have to take it on the chin.
“We have done enough in pretty much all the games to suggest we should have won them. I have spoken to them about what we need to get better at. Those are that we need to start the games better, show the intensity we showed later on in those first 20 minutes. We can’t give teams an advantage.
“After that we need to take half chances. It is hard to be critical of the team when you know we have done more than enough.”
Monk threw on five forwards in a bid to save the game and Forest added a second from the spot with 11 minutes remaining. Daryl Murphy, signed for £2m from Newcastle, converted after Ben Gibson pulled down Ben Brereton.
Gibson made amends four minutes later by firing a loose ball into the net at the other end through a crowded area to set up a frantic last ten minutes.