LIVE FROM OAKWELL
BARNSLEY 1 (Bogdanovic 12)
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 0
IT may not have been the prettiest but the Reds were more than good value for the lead at Oakwell.
Barnsley manager Mark Robins made two changes to his side as he looked to get back to winning ways against Forest at Oakwell. Back came Luke Steele in goal after suspension while Luke Potter got the nod at left back to replace injured loan star Carl Dickinson. O'Neil Thompson was drafted onto the bench.
It was a tight and tense opening to the game with neither side wrestling any sort of advantage. Chris Cohen fired the first real shot in anger on nine minutes and he volleyed one well, well wide from the edge of the area. It was never going to trouble Steele's goal.
Barnsley grabbed the opening goal on 12 minutes and it was straight off the Oakwell training ground as Nathan Doyle's deep free kick was nodded back by Stephen Foster and Daniel Bogdanovic arrived late to loop an audacious header over Lee Camp and into the back of the net.
Camp was in magnificent form on 16 minutes as he pulled a wonder save right out of the top drawer to turn away Adam Hammill's curler. Hammill's shot looked destined for the top corner before Camp threw himself across goal to claw the ball away.
Steele was almost caught out a minute later as he raced out to challenge Dele Adebola as Cohen's cross broke free but the ball bounced a foot or so wide of the post. It was a warning and a lucky escape for the Reds number one.
The game was balanced on a knife edge but was played hard and fair but referee Kevin Friend signalled his intentions early by flashing a needless yellow card at Hammill after the winger had tripped Rob Earnshaw on half way. Hopefully it was not going to be one of those nights from the Leicestershire official.
Barnsley had another let off on 20 minutes as Adebola chipped one wide of the far post from 25 yards after a mix up between Foster and Ryan Shotton. Guy Moussi then fired well, well wide of the mark on 23 minutes after the Reds had struggled to deal with Radoslaw Majewski's free kick after Earnshaw had hit the deck very easily again.
Hammill's evening was over on 25 minutes as he limped out of the action to be replaced by Emil Hallfredsson.
Forest pressed and pressured but the Reds stood firm. There was a worry on 33 minutes as Earnshaw found half a yard but Bobby Hassell was quickly across to slam the door shut.
Barnsley should have been further in front on 43 minutes as Forest again made a complete mess of dealing with a long free kick into the area. This time Hassell's pass fell for Hugo Colace but the midfielder could not find the corner with his effort. Filipe Teixeira then should have done better in stoppage time as he found a yard of space inside the area but curled a shot well wide.
BARNSLEY: Steele, Hassell, Foster, Shotton, Potter, Teixeira, Colace, Doyle, Hammill (Hallfredsson 25), Macken, Bogdanovic.
Subs: Preece, Hume, Anderson, Butterfield, Gray, Thompson.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST: Camp, Perch, Morgan, Wilson, Adebola, Earnshaw, Cohen, Gunter, Moussi, Boyd, Majewski.
Subs: Chambers, Anderson, Tyson, Garner, McGoldrick, Smith, Blackstock.
REFEREE
Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
ASSISTANT REFEREES
Nigel Bannister (East Yorkshire) and Gary Stott (Manchester)
FOURTH OFFICIAL
Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Match Report by Rob Knowles.
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