Forest (0) 1 Stoke (1) 1 – 24/4/21 3pm
A skilful game was settled by 2 scruffy goals. Forest are safe, but Stoke could do with a win. This is how this scruffy game unfolded in real time:
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Common sense returns to Michael O’Neill after “resting” Fletcher, Mikel and keeper Adam Davies. Back they come for Norton, Brown and Gunn (foot injury). Thankfully, Souttar is also back from suspension for a controversial red card, replacing injured Chester. But the worrying thing is Achilles injured Nick Powell, replaced by Rabbi Matondo.
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0.00 Bizarre moment as Clucas kicks off…only to find that his colleagues have taken the knee!!!
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1.11 Players slipping around on this heavily watered pitch. Tragic tactics. Stoke playing 4-5-1, it seems!
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16.57 Souttar makes a rare mistake in a tackle, and Forest get a shot on target, which they blast aggressively wide.
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19.35 Danny Batth voices his disdain at a Forest player for diving. The secret is, don’t mess with the Batth.
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26.36 1-0 !!! Matondo slips in from a superb cross from Josh Tymon breaking on the left, with Rabbi poking home shambolically past keeper Brice Samba. I’d say that was against the run of play! But with Mikel governing in the centre, it seems only fair.
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35.01 Two of Forest players down, sunbathing or injured. Easy life. They’re probably making up for the normal Powell-break that occurs about now. Tommy Smith somehow picks up a yellow card.
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37.30 Norrington Davies fends off a winger in the box, but from the shouts in the crowd they make it sound like attempted murder. 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. Cafu gets revenge a few minutes later shoving Norrington nastily off the ball, sending him flying.
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41.25 Thompson theatrically pushed off the ball, and he takes off like he’s diving into a swimming pool.
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43.25 After brilliant dribbling by Matondo and his excellent pass to Fletcher, Fletch’s pass to Clucas is appalling.
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HT Forest 0 Stoke 1. Somehow.
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48.20 1-1 !! Equally shambolic goal, with Grabban poking home this time after the ball came over from the Stoke left. Defenders at 6s and 7s.
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54.30 After Norrington wins a corner, Fletcher is decked in a collision in the penalty area, and he’s staying down. His season could be over? He hobbles off, but eventually hops back on again. He’s going to try and run it off. Brown warming up on the sidelines.
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59.05 Jacob Brown on for Fletch.
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61.40 Another horror clearance by keeper Samba, this time straight to Matondo, who feeds Brown, who seems to think he’s offside, so his shot is far too casual (& thus blocked). Thompson then unleashes a thunderbolt that is deflected away.
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73.36 Mikel barged off the ball in a dreadful challenge…and the ref gives nothing! Crazy.
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78.24 Brown and Ribeiro smack feet in a 50/50 ball. The crunch could be heard all over Nottingham. But it’s Ribby that gets yellowed! And needs a post-lockdown haircut.
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87.20 Matondo & McKenna both caught in another 50/50. They’ll be sore after this game.
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89.30. Vokes on for wounded Matondo. it must be in his contract.
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90+3 Another attempted murder on Mikel, but thankfully the ref actually notices.
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FT Forest 1 Stoke 1 – everyone’s a winner.
