TYLER RAISES THE ROOF FOR FOREST
OPPONENTS who started the day closely matched in midtable finished light years apart as Nottingham Forest rounded off Halloween week with a spellbinding performance.
Tyler Walker scored twice on his first league start of the season as one of the strangest curses in football – Rangers have never won at the City Ground – struck again.
Fellow young guns Kieran Dowell and Barrie McKay were also on the scoresheet as Forest moved to within a point of the play-off places.
Delighted Reds manager Mark Warburton worked hard to keep a sense of perspective.
“We try not to be too high when we win or slash our wrists when we lose a game of football,” he said.
“I’ll pick players whether they are 18 or 38 if they’re good enough and Tyler deserved his chance.
“Great credit goes to (assistant) David Weir who advised me to keep him here when I thought he might go out on loan.
“Our aim is to finish as high in this division as possible. The Championship is stronger and tighter than ever and we are capable of being one of those sides who put three or four wins together.”
In stark contrast, Rangers boss Ian Holloway, who confessed to feeling ill, watched some of his side’s first-half horror show from the TV gantry and could scarcely believe what he saw after successive wins over high-flying Wolves and Sheffield United.
“I picked the same team with the same formation and expected the same performance, but I didn’t get it,” he said.
“The first goal was absolutely vital and that lifted them.
“We looked tired and were lacklustre. We got a lot of things very wrong against a team who can look good when their tails are up.
“Getting beat 4-0 is a bitter pill to take but there’s still a long way to go in this division.”
Rangers started brightly before Dowell led a swift Forest counterattack in the 13th minute for Walker to slot past Alex Smithies from the edge of the area.
Forest’s slick passing caused chaos in the visiting ranks and a second goal was long overdue when Dowell fastened onto an exquisite Osborn through ball to net in the 44th minute.
Interval substitute Jamie Mackie headed a fine chance wide from a Conor Washington cross against his former team in the 48th minute.
Within four minutes the game was all but over as Osborn’s cross picked out McKay, who volleyed in sweetly at the far post.
Fit-again Daryl Murphy missed a sitter after more fine play by McKay but Forest’s final goal highlighted what this athletic young team is all about. McKay left experienced Alex Baptiste for dead with an outrageous turn of pace before curling the perfect ball for Walker to smash his second goal into the roof of the Trent End net.
The industrious and skilful Osborn, labelled “outstanding” by Warburton, ran the show for impressive Forest. Michael Mancienne timed everything to perfection at the back as they kept only their fourth clean sheet of the campaign.
Holloway must hope that his side’s performance – like his illness – is just a temporary blip. As he pointed out, the table would have looked rosy for Rangers going into the international break had they won – but they never got near a Forest side producing some of the most watchable football in this league.