Randell’s real deal
BIG Connor Wickham left it late to score his first Wednesday goal with a thumping equaliser right at the death.
It had looked as though Joe Lolley had scored a real smash-and-grab goal in the 70th minute, looking set to break the hearts of the Owls, who had just missed an absolute sitter.
All Jordan Rhodes had to do was nod home from close-range – but his header hit a post and Keiran Lee’s effort from a rebound was blocked and cleared.
A goal by Rhodes would have added to his sparse return of three all season – ironically all scored in the first half of Wednesday’s 4-0 rout of Forest at the County Ground earlier this season.
Then came Lolley’s spectacular strike in the 70th minute when he latched on to a long ball.
The former Huddersfield winger took it down and unleashed a sublime volley that had goal written all over it from the moment it left his boot.
It looked bleak for Wednesday but they got their rewards as Wickham made his presence count in the third minute of time added-on.
Yet another troubling cross from sub Alessio Da Cruz came Wickham’s way and the bustling striker headed home.
It was no more than Garry Monk’s men deserved after they had dominated for long spells.
Monk said: “I was really pleased with the performance
“I thought massive parts to that game was stuff we have been working on. We came fighting back and I was pleased with the reaction.
“Considering all the preparation we have done it was a good performance with a lot of really good things in it.
“I thought what let us down was that we looked rusty in decision-making and our execution.
“We really controlled the game with possession and defensively we didn’t suffer.”
Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi, who signed a new contract on Friday said: “Unfortunately we can’t celebrate my contract with the three points. Maybe next week I hope.
“My first choice was to continue and to try and achieve our target all together.
“I feel at home here but I don’t think it is the right time to talk about it. I am disappointed about the two points we missed.
“We just want to play in the play-offs. When you are at Nottingham Forest you always have pressure anyway.
“I am just lucky to work at this club and proud.
“We have a big history, we want to be part of this history, we want to be part of this club, we want to write our history.
“The best way was to start with the three points today, unfortunately not. But a point is a point.”
EXETER boss Matt Taylor hopes top clubs will be fighting to sign Randell Williams after the play-offs.
The full-back, 23, goes into the play-off second leg clash with Colchester tomorrow as one of the form players in the country.
Only Kevin De Bruyne (16) had more assists than Williams (14) before the lockdown.
Taylor, whose side trail 1-0, said: “We have to generate our own income and the play-offs are a chance for the younger players to impress clubs in higher leagues.
“Randell deserves an opportunity to play at a higher level and hopefully he can play in League One with us.
“If he plays well, he either provides or he scores. He has talent and he’s not the finished article yet.
“These are showcase games and if we sell a player to a club from a higher league after this, that’s a success.”