LEWIS GRABS A DOUBLE TO DOWN TOWN
Prolific striker inspires in-form Forest
AITOR Karanka believes his Nottingham Forest side deserve to be among the Championship promotion contenders – because of the attitude they have shown since day one of the season.
The Reds boss was pleased to see his side complete an ‘amazing’ week by notching a win over Ipswich at the City Ground, to follow on from victory at Hull and a 5-5 draw at Aston Villa.
Lewis Grabban was again a major catalyst, as the £6 million striker took his tally for the season to 15 with two more goals, and having hit five in his last three matches.
But it was the attitude of his entire team that pleased Karanka most.
“Since the season has started, this squad and this group of players all deserve credit. Not just the players who are starting or who are on the bench, but all the players,” he said.
“They deserve to be at the top end of the Championship and beyond that in future; they deserve everything.”
Forest made the breakthrough in the ninth minute, following a moment Bartosz Bialkowski will want to forget.
Tendayi Darikwa had a powerful shot from the edge of the box but, while it was well struck, the keeper will have been frustrated not to hold the ball, which spun from his grasp – and the instinctive Grabban was quick to react, forcing it into the back of the net
from a few yards. It was a typical goal from the striker, who has already made such finishes his trademark following a summer move from Bournemouth.
A mistake from Jack Colback almost allowed Kayden Jackson to plunder an unlikely equaliser, as he was allowed to power into the box, but he let Forest off the hook by lashing his shot wide of the goal in wild fashion.
Joe Lolley, another man in fine form for the Reds, tested Bialkowski with a curling, dipping shot that the keeper this time managed to hold well.
Jackson continued to deliver numerous warnings to Forest, with the Ipswich striker sending a header inches wide and then forcing an awkward save from Costel Pantilimon with a low, driven effort.
Forest were inches away from extending their lead as Darikwa delivered a cross to the far post, where Dias was arriving to attack a header – only to see it bounce away off the inside of the opposite upright.
The home side did make it 2-0 in the 38th minute, when Darikwa delivered another outstanding ball into the centre. Grabban was in the perfect position at the far post, where he still had work to do, to squeeze home a shot from the tightest of angles.
Forest could have gone into the break out of sight, with Darikwa denied by a fine save as his shot threatened to dip in, while Jack Colback fired a shot just over.
The second half continued in a similar theme, as Michael Hefele saw a header bounce away off a post. Grabban, in search of his hat-trick, also hit the bar after beating Bialkowski to a bouncing ball on the edge of the box.
Bialkowski denied Lolley with a fine save, as his shot seemed bound for the bottom corner.
A vital block from Matthew Pennington again denied Grabban his hat-trick.
Ipswich boss Lambert remains convinced that they can claw their way out of the bottom three, if they can retain the spirit he has seen since joining the club.
“If we can stay in the fight, I think we are in a seven-team league at the bottom. If we can get a little bit of help in January, let’s see what happens,” he said.
“Confidence is not an issue. The lads have been great and there is a real good spirit at the club. We will never let that go.”
Lambert refused to be critical of Bialkowski, despite fumbling a shot from Darikwa that gave Grabban the chance to poach his first of the game.
“He is a brilliant goalkeeper and a terrific lad. Mistakes happen,” said Lambert. “That is the nature of football. It won’t be his first mistake or his last.”