Barnsley felled by Forest

By: Oli | October 21st, 2009

I love cheesy headlines. However, I don’t love conceding in stoppage time. I hate that, especially when we’ve played pretty decently. Incisive attacking and confident defending led to a much improved performance on Saturday, but Forest are a better side than Doncaster, and they made us pay.

There is no way in hell we deserved to lose that game. Robins came out to bring a decisive away performance to the City Ground, and that told right from the start, as Iain Hume smacks a free-kick into the bar within a minute of the kick-off. We had a series of other chances, far more than Forest, with a variety of shots from Hume, Macken and Hammill. Forest were never as close as us, and a lot of their chances came from either Paul Anderson on the right wing, or from David McGoldrick constantly falling over near the box. Forest played some good passing football, but a lot of the incision came from long balls into the box, whereas we created some clever movement on and off the ball.

The defence never deserved to concede a goal. Darren Moore and Ryan Shotton had, like at Doncaster, been largely faultless. The difference made to the organisation of our back four is huge when there is a confident goalkeeper behind them, and Steele also helped out with some excellent saves.

The attack looked like there was some sort of understanding being formed. We actually used two separate attacking tactics. First half, Macken, Hume and Hammill linked up to create some flash shooting opportunities, but with few sustained plans of attack. Second half, Andy Gray played the lone target man role, and this began to bring in Anderson and Hallfreddo, as well as leaving Hammill one-on-one with an out-classed full back. Personally, I preferred the second choice of tactic, because it really gave us a grip on the game, rather than just some chances.

Reading the last two paragraphs, you’d think that we’d won. Well, if one team had to win, it should have been us, the away team. I would have taken a draw, but nobody should lose any confidence from us getting unlucky right at the death. It happens, pick yourself up, and get on with it. Here’s a cliché for you, take the positives, because there’re enough of ‘em.

Ratings
Luke Steele: 8- He’s good, he’s real good.
Darren Moore: MOTM 9 – Epic. As usual.
Ryan Shotton: 8 – Any chance we can sign him on in January.
Adam Hammill: 8 – Two years ago, Adam Hammill and Paul Anderson were both at Liverpool, and were both regarded as roughly equal to each other. Last night, Hammill proved that we got the best deal.
Iain Hume: 6/7 – Again, good, but not the best he can do. Maybe he’s saving it to try and get Blackwell sacked in two weeks.
Andy Gray: 7 – For me, he did enough to earn a start next to Hume.

In other news, Guy Moussi proves himself to be the stupidest man in Nottingham, as he does something any idiot would be proud of, and gets himself sent off celebrating. Well done, Guy, well done.

On the back of this performance away from home, I can see no problem playing Bristol City back in Yorkshire, and I don’t think anyone’s hopes should be dented by this loss.