Nottingham Forest 2 (McGugan 18, Hutchinson 75) Charlton 1 (Camp o.g.88).
Kevin Nolan reports from the City Ground.
Beaten comfortably despite the deceptively narrow scoreline, Charlton were handed another reminder that the Championship will present a far stiffer challenge than League One, through which they cruised last season. There’s a world of difference in the levels which makes the nature of this defeat- as much as the defeat itself- a matter for concern.
During the first half at the City Ground, they chased shadows as Forest effortlessly passed, moved and hogged possession. Pushed firmly on to the back foot and unrecognisable from the eager, energetic side that took the fight to Birmingham City in their opening away game, the Addicks were as much surprised as grateful to retire at half-time only a goal down. A goal which, incidentally, was warmly disputed.
At the break, Forest themselves might have rued the lack of killer instinct which had let their hapless victims off the hook. The 8th minute miss by Adlene Guedioura was typical of their profligacy. Set up by Andy Reid’s astute cutback from the left byline, the Algerian international blasted wildly against the crossbar.
Guedioura’s blushes were spared less than ten minutes later when his side grabbed a slightly contentious lead. In an innocuous scuffle with Simon Cox on the left touchline, Chris Solly’s six-of-one offence was no more illegal than Cox’s half-dozen-of-the-other riposte. What should diplomatically have been a Charlton throw was ruled, by easily influenced referee Graham Salisbury, to be a Forest free kick, which is where setpiece specialist Lewis McGugan came into his own. McGugan’s right-footed delivery zipped through a congested penalty area, deceived a distracted Ben Hamer and found the bottom far corner.
The goal was no more than dominant Forest deserved, though they proved reluctant to build on the advantage. McGugan went close with a quickthinking snapshot, which deflected off Leon Cort, wrongfooted Hamer, but flew wide. Another effort from the talented midfielder was fielded competently by Hamer before the break.
Having failed to “turn up”, Charlton had completed the first period without troubling Lee Camp. A minute after resumption, Jordan Cook’s low drive at least caused Camp brief embarrassment but there was little else to worry Forest. Instead, the Trentsiders turned the screw again, with Guedioura’s vicious drive deflecting to safety off a colleague, before Cox broke away to shoot tamely at Hamer. Their lack of ruthlessness was leaving them vulnerable, even to toothless opposition such as this when they apparently moved into clear water with a brilliant, though again slightly controversial, second goal.
If Solly’s earlier “offence” was deemed illegal, then the hefty challenge from Dexter Blackstock which flattened Rhoys Wiggins simply had to be outside the law. Not so, ruled Salisbury, and Blackstock certainly made the most of his leniency. His adroitly scooped pass was skilfully controlled on his chest by rampaging right back Sam Hutchinson and slotted coolly past the advancing Hamer. At last Forest – and their increasingly anxious supporters – could relax. Or could they?
Danny Haynes had already replaced Cook in a bid to add extra pace but it was the 81st minute introductions of Salim Kerkar and Ricardo Fuller, which sent shock waves coursing through suddenly spooked Forest.
Powerful and experienced, Fuller terrorised the Midlanders. His breathtaking control of a huge Hamer punt announced his arrival before, with three minutes of normal time remaining, he was the catalyst in reducing the newly galvanised visitors’ arrears. Perfectly positioned as Solly sprinted on to Yann Kermorgant’s through pass, the seasoned veteran hit the right post with a firm header; the rebound struck Camp’s leg on its way back and dribbled over the line.
Camp’s inadvertent own goal panicked his side. From complete control, they were reduced to an anywhere-will-do rabble, hanging on for dear life to a victory which had seemed a matter of routine until self-doubt riddled their ranks. They were living on their nerves as Fuller broke through weak challenges on the right byline and crossed for Kerkar to volley against Daniel Ayala’s body, with optimistic appeals for a penalty rightly dismissed by the ubiquitous Salisbury. No chance of this pedantic official righting two earlier wrongs with a book-balancing third intervention in Charlton’s favour. Too much to ask. Not that they really deserved a break anyway.
Nottm Forest: Camp, Hutchinson, Ayala, Collins, Halford, McGugan (Moussi 83), Guedioura, Gillett, Reid, Coppinger (86), Blackstock, Cox (Sharp 80). Not used: Evtimov, Harding, Moloney, Majewski. Booked: Giedioura, Blackstock, Cox.
Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Cort, Morrison, Wiggins, Pritchard, Hollands (Kerkar 81), Cook (Haynes 59), Jackson, Wright-Phillips (Fuller 81), Kermorgant. Not used: Button, Green, Wilson, Dervite. Booked: Hamer, Morrison, Jackson.
Referee: Graham Salisbury. Att: 19,745.
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