Huge for Hughton
CHRIS HUGHTON is in for a big week if he is going to keep Nottingham Forest in the Championship.
Hughton is rebuilding a weak side and has two big games coming up.
Midfielder Filip Krovinovic (above) made his debut on loan from Benfica in yesterday’s dismal draw with Barnsley, Manchester United’s highly-rated 19-year-old midfielder James Garner is on his way and veteran striker Glenn Murray is expected from Brighton.
Hughton needs all of them, with Forest fourth from bottom, three points ahead of Rotherham who have two games in hand.
This week is critical with trips to Coventry on Tuesday and rock-bottom Wycombe on Saturday.
They need the points after this stalemate and Hughton said: “They are two teams that are very much around us. We have to show the same type of spirit we showed against Barnsley. Then it’s about showing our quality.”
Forest have only lost one league game in their last eight, but keeper Brice Samba saved them with a superb tip over from Herbie Kane’s volley and then got in the way of Cauley Woodrow’s close-range header.
Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael slammed referee Leigh Doughty for not giving a 22nd-minute penalty when Michal Helik seemed to be pulled down.
Ismael said: “If the referee had given that penalty and we had scored it could have been a different game.
“I don’t usually comment like this, but we had the same kind of thing in our last match against Cardiff. It wasn’t as if the referee didn’t see what happened with Helik, he did and indicated no penalty.”
NOTTINGHAM FOREST: Samba 7; Christie 7, Figueiredo 6 (Mbe Soh 90), Worrall 7, Bong 5; Cafu 6, Sow 7 (Bachirou 58, 5) ; Ameobi 5, Krovinovic 8, Knockaert 7 (Mighten 86); Grabban 5. Unused subs: Smith, Freeman, Lolley, Blackett, Taylor. BARNSLEY: Collins 7; Sibbick 6 (Sollbauer 64,5), Helik 7, Andersen 6 (Williams 86); Brittain 6, Kane 7, Mowatt 6, Styles 6;Frieser 6 (Adeboyejo 59,5), Woodrow 6, Chaplin 6 (Morris 59,5). Unused subs: Walton, Schmidt, Oduor, Miller, Ali Omar.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Filip Krovinovic. Not a great deal of competition, but stood out with attempts to create something. REFEREE: Leigh Doughty 7.