VLAD SAVES
THEY MAY have kept the score down but Philippe Montanier admits his defence remains a worry as Nottingham Forest failed to build on a first half full of promise.
Forest saw their 100 per cent home record go up in flames after a masterful second-half display from the Canaries, who moved into second in the Championship.
In two of their three other home games in the league this season, Montanier’s men eked out 4-3 wins – which goes some way to explaining why their goals against column stands at a jointsecond worst 17.
And Montanier says it could have been ugly here if not for the efforts of goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic, who also saved a firsthalf penalty.
He said: “It is important that we learn how to play a full game and not for just one half. We had a good reaction to the penalty and got the lead but we have to play until the end.
“Our second-half performance was disappointing and it wasn’t good enough to earn us anything against a side like Norwich City, who were recently in the Premier League.
“It’s not always a good sign when your goalkeeper makes a lot of saves but you have to make them when they are needed.
“It is now important that, as a team, we learn to protect him a little more often than we did.”
In the other camp, Canaries boss Alex Neil lavished praise upon Graham Dorrans who settled the game with a superb 20-yard strike.
He said: “I thought he was outstanding. There are very few midfielders in this league that can get you moving forwards by playing between the lines and also break up play sufficiently when we have to defend.”
It was the visitors who raced out of the blocks quicker in the first half, with Wes Hoolahan and Jonny Howson testing Stojkovic.
Forest soon got into their stride though and Hildeberto Pereira was a constant threat. His cushioned ball to Mustapha Carayol saw the ex-Middlesbrough man slot an inviting cross into the path of Apostolos Vellios, who was inches away from a goal.