Sports

West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Nottingham Forest: Matty Cash's injury-time strike earns draw against Baggies


Kyle Bartley’s unfortunate own goal meant Forest were level at the break even though they had not managed an effort on target

Matty Cash’s thunderous injury-time strike earned promotion-chasing Nottingham Forest a draw in a gripping and controversial encounter against Championship leaders West Bromwich Albion.

The Baggies looked set to move nine points clear before the afternoon kick-offs with Tobias Figueiredo’s second-half own goal putting them 2-1 ahead.

But Cash smashed the ball into the far corner from the right side of the box to take Forest up to fourth place in the table and keep the gap between them and West Brom at eight points.

Figueiredo’s was the second unfortunate own goal of the game, Kyle Bartley having also put through his own net from Sammy Ameobi’s cross to make it 1-1 at the break following Callum Robinson’s stylish, curled opener.

Forest were convinced Ameobi had been fouled in the build-up to Figueiredo’s goal, but referee Keith Stroud allowed play to continue and, after the Baggies broke upfield, the Portuguese defender could only divert Jake Livermore’s drilled cross past keeper Brice Samba.

The dramatic leveller in a feisty match played in testy, windswept conditions at The Hawthorns went some way to appeasing a furious Forest, who felt Livermore was lucky to escape without punishment for a high boot on Yuri Ribeiro and that they should have had a penalty for handball against Bartley soon after the hosts went ahead in contentious circumstances for the second time.

But West Brom also ended frustrated with the officials as Robinson’s 96th-minute strike went over the line but hit Bartley in the goalmouth who was flagged for offside.

The Baggies set the tone for a breathless match in a strong start, but neither side managed a shot on target until the Baggies went ahead when the impressive Matheus Pereira robbed Samba Sow of possession and slipped a pass to the right to Robinson, who shifted the ball beautifully out of his feet and bent it into the far corner.

But Forest were a vastly different side to the one that surrendered so meekly to Charlton at the City Ground on Tuesday, both in personnel and performance – with the five players missing from the 1-0 home loss all returning and having central roles.

Forest came close to equalising when a venomous Tiago Silva volley went narrowly over the bar from 18 yards, only for Bartley’s unfortunate own goal, as he attempted to prevent Ameobi’s luscious cross reaching 16-goal top scorer Lewis Grabban, from levelling matters.

The Baggies recovered to take control after the interval and Ameobi had to block Pereira’s sweet goalbound volley, while Samba made fine saves to deny Filip Krovinovic and Livermore.

Home pressure told when Baggies captain Livermore crossed and Figueiredo’s attempt to block saw him divert the ball into his own net from close range.

Cash’s sumptuous strike denied the Baggies victory, however and the gap at the top could be down to four points by the end of Saturday.





READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.