ROWETT SEES RED OVER REF ‘ERROR’
Keeper’s escape the key NOTT’M F 0 STOKE CITY 0
GARY Rowett felt the key moment of a dramatic draw between Nottingham Forest and Stoke was seeing Costel Pantilimon escape what he felt should have been a red card.
The Potters boss was frustrated that the keeper was not sent off following a challenge on Benik Afobe, after the Romanian raced out of his box to slide in at the striker’s feet.
There did not seem to be much in the way of contact, but Rowett felt it was a mistake for referee Oliver Langford to wave play on, rather than awarding a free-kick and giving Pantilimon his marching orders.
“The reality is it is a moment that changes the game. If the officials see the right decision, it has to be a straight red. There can be no other decision, because there was no other player around,” said Rowett.
“He knocked it around the keeper and jumped to avoid the contact. He hasn’t dived.
“Maybe he should have dived – because that is the problem now. You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”
Stoke were almost the first to draw blood, as James McClean tried his luck with a rasping, powerful strike that forced an important save from Pantilimon.
McClean tested Pantilimon again, with a cross-shot, but this time the keeper’s save was a far easier one.
Jack Butland had to be alert to claim a cross from Matty Cash, with Lewis Grabban poised to pounce.
Forest found their teeth in the 41st minute when Grabban fed a pass into the feet of Joe Lolley in the box. He turned sharply to hit a low shot, but Butland read it well and made the save look simple.
Adlene Guedioura then flashed an instant shot across the face of goal and narrowly wide, as the Stoke keeper looked on. It was Forest who finished the half the stronger, with Joao Carvalho then seeing a driven shot cleared off the line by Ryan Shawcross.
Forest should have taken the lead in the 55th minute when Jack Colback pounced on a defensive mix-up and left Grabban with a clear sight of goal, but the Reds striker blazed wildly over. Carvalho also forced another important save from Butland when he conjured up a clever effort from just inside the box.
Pantilimon denied Stoke when he got down to stop a free kick from Tom Edwards, which was bound for the bottom corner.
Butland demonstrated his international credentials with six minutes to go, when he made an outstanding save to deny Lolley, who had bent the shot towards the far corner, but saw the keeper push it away brilliantly.
Forest boss Aitor Karanka was disappointed to see his team denied three points – but was satisfied with one.
“People can be proud of this team because if you look at the Stoke team and squad, they were mostly all Premier League players last season.
“Against a very good team we showed that we were better than them.”