BIG BEN STRIKES THE RIGHT NOTE
TEENAGE striker Ben Brereton showed his character by ending Nottingham Forest’s ten hour 40 minute goal drought, according to Reds boss Aitor Karanka.
The 18-year-old converted an 87thminute penalty he had won before setting up Joe Lolley’s 95th-minute winner as Forest stunned Ipswich, who were not managed by Mick McCarthy for the first time in more than five years.
The mid-table visitors, led by caretaker boss Bryan Klug, had taken the lead through Grant Ward’s second goal of the season.
The result leaves Forest on the verge of safety, 12 months after victory over Ipswich on the final day of last season stopped them from being relegated.
Karanka said: “I was expecting the goals to come sooner. Especially in the first-half as we had two or three chances.
“The main thing is the goals arrived and we won the game – the three points is massive.
“Ipswich played really well and were really intense. I told the players at half-time we need to play with the same intensity. I could not understand why the team playing for nothing was better than us, more intense than us.
“I’m really pleased for Ben. He showed great character.
“He is improving every day. He’s missing chances but here he showed big character. The penalty is massive for his confidence.”
Forest’s goal drought should have ended in the 11th minute when Ward’s square pass to Jordan Spence was cut out by Forest left-back Ben Osborn who found himself through on goal, but his shot was too close to Ipswich goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski.
Bialkowski was then forced to tip wide 25-yard efforts from Lolley and Brereton.
The visitors had offered nothing going forward so Forest goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon may have been a bit surprised when Myles Kenlock’s fizzed cross from the left appeared to hit Ward before heading towards goal. The goalkeeper got a hand to the effort but the ball trickled into the net.
The visitors should then have doubled their lead in the second half either through Luke Hyam or former Forest player Mustapha Carayol who both fired across goal and narrowly wide.
And that failure to find a second goal proved costly when Brereton – who had earlier been booked for diving inside the area – was pushed over by Ward before stepping up to fire in the penalty off the inside of the left-hand post for his fifth goal of the season.
Buoyed by ending the club’s marathon goal drought, Brereton then found space down the right and clipped over a cross which Lolley volleyed with his left foot to spark jubilant scenes.
Klug, who is head of coaching and player development at Ipswich, took over after McCarthy quit following Tuesday’s win over Barnsley.
He said: “For 87 minutes I was quite happy but I’m not now. Football is about winning games. Losing is not enjoyable.
“I thought it was a good away performance. There was resilience, and when we could we tried to play.
“First half, we did not create too much but got the goal. Second-half we had a few chances but did not get the crucial second goal. Ultimately we paid for that.
“We got a little bit deep but, until the penalty, I was not too concerned. It’s the harsh reality of football.
“We did not deserve a kick in the teeth like that.”