Attendance: 22, 230 (1190 Reds)
Fourth Official: R. Wigglesworth.
Assistant Referee: C. Akers & R. Merchant.
Referee: Andy Haines
Subs: Alnwick, Edwards, Knight, Rose.
Reds: Steele, Kennedy, Cranie, Wiseman, Jones, Perkins, Mellis, O'Brien (Harewood 77), Noble-Lazarus (Cywka 67), Scotland (Dagnall 56), O'Grady.
Forest: Darlow, Hutchinson (Collins 22), Guedioura, Cohen, Reid, Halford, Cox, Lansbury (McGugan 66), Sharp, Majewski (Blackstock 83), Ward.
Teams
Full time.
When Barnsley’s break seemed to finally come, Chris O’Grady stormed forward only to be cynically brought down by Cohen. A half-chance for Kennedy from the resulting free-kick was deflected off the wall and out, allowing the referee to blow the whistle.
Four minutes of stoppage time was indicated. It was tight and tense. Forest clipped the woodwork for a fourth time with Sharp nodding a header onto the top of the bar with just over a minute to go.
The traveling Tykes snag their hearts out in the Nottingham sunshine, encouraging their side to hold on or even nick a goal.
Barnsley’s last change saw Forest old boy Marlon Harewood replace Jim O’Brien with 13 left on the clock.
Whenever the Reds cleared the danger, the ball was just sent straight back down their throats or down the flank.
A shot was fired straight at Steele from Sharp after the forward wriggled his way through the Barnsley defence before cutting in and cracking at goal.
Again Forest clattered the woodwork when Sharp volleyed at a stranded Steele’s goal. The home side were in complete control. Reuben Noble-Lazarus was replaced by Tomasz Cywka on 67 minutes.
The Reds hit Forest on the break as O’Grady set Dagnall away down the left but he lost possession after trying to jink outside of his man rather than shooting on 62 minutes. It was the Reds’ best chance.
Andy Reid’s effort seemed destined for the bottom corner but again Steele came to the rescue as he tipped it wide - it was a sublime save on 58 minutes. Forest were pressing hard and the Reds needed to gain a foothold in the match.
Shortly after Steele made another great save to deny Lansbury a diving header, Chris Dagnall came on for Jason Scotland with 56 played.
minute and he could have even released Scotland with a through-ball but the striker opted to shoot and blazed over the bar from 25 yards. st A fairly good chance fell for O’Grady in the 51
Second half
Just after one minute of stoppage time was indicated, Guedioura had another long-range strike well saved by Steele.
Elliott Ward denied Reuben Noble-Lazarus a free shot at goal with an excellent last-ditch tackle on 32 minutes when the youngster raced down the middle. Steele made another great save a minute later when he got down low to deny Guedioura’s long-range drive.
The Reds’ woodwork was rattled by a header from Lansbury on 27 minutes when he connected well with a Majewski corner.
The hosts were forced into an early change with Danny Collins replacing Sam Hutchinson with 22 minutes gone.
O’Brien scuffed a poor effort wide after good retaining play from Scotland on the edge of the box. It was a quiet opening quarter-of-an-hour at the City Ground.
The hosts had the first attempt on goal when Sharp picked up a kind, deflected ball inside the left-hand channel of the box but Jones got a good block in with five minutes on the watch.
Barnsley claimed another point as they held Nottingham Forest to a goalless draw at the City Ground, with Luke Steele performing out of his skin to deny Bill Davies’ side a hatful of goals.
Reds 0
Forest 0
