Nottingham Forest 2 - 1 Cardiff City. Match Report

Last updated : 20 February 2011 By Michael Morris
Thommo last week, Earnie this week, two goals that have cost City valueable Championship points.

Robert Earnshaw's winner at The City ground was celebrated wildly by the home fans but very low key by the player himself. He was given plenty of warm applause by City fans when he was substutued and he did the ayatollah as well. All very nice and respectable but at this stage of the season when points are crucial we should be making life hell for former players, not lauding them as heroes, certainly not until after the games have finished. That's twice in the past Earnie has scored a winner against us. Steve Thompson last week was applauded onto the pitch at the CCS as he came off the bench only to score against us a few minutes later.

Show them respect after the game. During it make it as uncomfortable as possible.

For the neutral yesteday's game was a cracker, end to end with plenty of chances but as a cynical City fan it was another kick in the nuts that we were outdone by a team that seemed to have more fight and desire than we did.

The Football League show highlights will give fans the impression we created several quality chances, which we did, but over the 90 minutes we were not the team that Forest were. It might sound harsh, and I might sound bitter but I have seen it before where we fall short when it comes to fighting out crucial matches like this one was.

As horrible as Billy Davies can be he has created a strong Forest side who play a mix of dirty, niggly as well as pacey attack with overlapping full backs. Aided by a well supported crowd The City Ground is an intimidating place to play. If we could inject some more grit to our game and some more noise from our fans - at home, we might be able to add that steel to our side that would see us win these sort of games. We can do it, beating Swansea was no man feat, but we don't do it enough.

The table shows that we've lost more games this season than Forest and QPR added together. Two teams with hateful managers and teams that are difficult to beat with players that use all their experience to take any advantage they can. We have better players but they are like glass at times and crumble too easily rather that scrap their way to victory.

Going back to the game. Bothroyd again missed a one on one - Camp making a superb save to deny him, Parkin's lob over the keeper should have been a goal and that would have seen City two up before Wes Morgan used Mark Hudson as a platform to climb above him to head in Forest opener.

The home side hit the bar and Earnie had one disallowed but it was blown for offside well before he put the ball in the net.

City had further chances, Bellamy had a shot cleared off the line and saw Camp make a diving save to push the ball away for a corner.

Chances continued to come in the second half. JET's shot from distance moved in the air but remarkabley Camp got a touch with his foot to send the ball over the bar, Camp tipped another just over as he earned the Man of the Match award from the home supporters.

City drew level when they won a penalty midway through the second half. Olofinjana seemed as surprised as everyone else to have been given the decision from a referee who was incredibly poor all game allowing Forest to get away with foul after foul but penalising City players all over the park.

Peter Whittingham scored and Cardiff were looking to push on and win the game. They were on top during this period but their intent on attack mean space opened up at the back and Forest countered with pace. City were opened up three times from speedy breakaways. Wes Morgan fluffed one effort scuffing his efort with just Heaton to beat, Earnie scored his chance and Heaton superbly saved another breakaway effort.

Backed by the home crowd Forest were able to see the game out and leapt over City in the table and they still have a game in hand, as they look favourites to compete with QPR for the top two places.

It's still there for Cardiff. All of the top six are in contention. Even Leicester in 7th will be thinking they can catch the top two. The Championship run in over the next 11 weeks is going to be full of drama with many twists and turns.

Have Cardiff got the bottle to step up a notch and win a place in the Premier League? We'll get a good indication on Tuesday when Leicester come to the CCS. Sven Goran Eriksson's side have won their last five games in a row.

Losing at Forest might not have been a defining moment in Cardiff's season. Losing at home to Leicester might be.