In with Heck of a chance
PAUL HECKINGBOTTOM has history on his side as he bids to inspire a turnaround at Nottingham Forest tomorrow – his own perfect away record in play-off semi-finals.
Sheffield United have endured misery in the end-of-season knockout showpiece, having never won through in eight previous attempts – a run that has brought one relegation and seven missed promotions.
They are on course for more heartache after goals from Jack Colback and Brennan Johnson gave Forest a 2-1 edge going into the second leg of their semi-final at the City Ground.
But boss Heckingbottom has a much happier record.
The 44-year-old featured in the play-offs four times before as a player and a manager with Darlington, Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley. And he’s won the away leg as well as reaching the final every time, winning three promotions.
Even the fact that Forest’s only home defeat since the turn of the year was against Quadruplechasing Liverpool in the FA Cup in March has not put former Hibs boss Heckingbottom off.
In fact, Sander Berge’s goal for United in Saturday’s first leg has strengthened the belief of their players, according to the manager.
He said: “The late goal changes things. In the play-off campaigns I’ve had, I’ve won the away leg every time.
“It can be done, no problem. But we just know we have to be better than we were on Saturday.
“We got that late goal and we weren’t as defeated when we came off.
“There’s a determination there. The players are talking to each other and saying, ‘We’re in it. We’re in it’.
“You see Forest arguing about conceding, their players walking off a bit dejected, shoulders down. It’s a totally different feel. “It can happen, believe me. And it just makes the first big incident at the City Ground key.” Forest have been the Championship’s form team since the arrival as manager in September of Steve Cooper, who dragged them from the bottom of the table to within a whisker of automatic promotion. Cooper’s success has been built on attacking football and he has promised that will continue tomorrow, insisting his players won’t sit on their lead. He said: “It’s the way we play. We don’t always get it right, by the way. Sometimes we’ve got it wrong. “We saw some good bits of it on Saturday but we start again. We don’t take anything for granted.” RECORD Boss Heckingbottom