Nottingham Forest will have to pick themselves up for the play-offs as a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth ended their hopes of clinching automatic promotion.
The Reds needed to avoid defeat in the rearranged clash at the Vitality Stadium to take the fight for second spot to the final day. But Kieffer Moore’s second half goal clinched victory for the Cherries.
The hosts were quick out the blocks and called Brice Samba into action early on as he made a diving save to deny Philip Billing. But Forest gradually began to settle, working their way into the game.
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They went on to have the better chances in the first half. And might have felt they should have had a couple of penalties, for fouls on Brennan Johnson and Sam Surridge.
The latter went as close as anyone to finding a breakthrough, hitting the bar with less than 10 minutes played. A terrific break from Djed Spence saw him slot the striker in, but Surridge’s curled effort bounced off the woodwork.
There was concern for Steve Cook shortly after, as a clash of heads at a corner for the visitors left a bloody wound needing treatment. He was patched up several times before the opening 45 minutes were out, but there was little chance of him coming off against his former club.
Past the half-hour, Johnson saw a side-footed shot blocked on the line after latching on to a Jack Colback cross. And he drew a save from Mark Travers a few minutes later, following a rampaging run by Spence.
The Middlesbrough loanee tore down the right flank and picked out his teammate, who brought the ball down on the edge of the area with an exquisite touch. He couldn’t quite catch it right when firing goalwards, though, with Travers comfortably dealing with his strike.
Five minutes before the break, Forest had cause for complaint when Philip Zinckernagel threaded the ball through to Surridge. He looked to take it past Travers, but was flagged for offside - a decision which was questionable, looking at replays, with Surridge also brought down by the keeper.
Zinckernagel tested Travers just before the whistle. But the teams went in at the break all-square, and with everything to play for.
Dominic Solanke fired into the side-netting soon after the re-start as Bournemouth began to see more of the ball. And Ryan Christie and Billing both had sights of goal as the hour mark passed, with the Cherries trying to turn the screw.
It needed a big save from Samba to keep the score at 0-0 with 20 minutes to go. He clawed away an effort from Jaidon Anthony.
But seven minutes from time it was the hosts who made the breakthrough. A clever free-kick slotted in Moore, who fired past Samba. And although the Reds responded with a triple substitution, and even pushed Samba up for a late corner kick, they could find no response in what had been a flat second half from Steve Cooper’s side. Here’s how Reds reporter Sarah Clapson rated the Forest players at the Vitality Stadium.
Brice Samba: Kept the Reds in it for a long spell when they were under the cosh. Big saves from Philip Billing and Jaidon Anthony. Beaten by a well-worked free-kick. Rating: 7/10
Joe Worrall: Did well to keep the Cherries at bay for so long when they were well on top. Will need his leadership to come to the fore as Forest pick themselves up for the play-offs. Rating: 7/10
Steve Cook: Battered and bloodied as a nasty clash of heads early on left him needing patching up several times. Eventually made way as the Reds tried a last throw of the dice in response to going behind. Rating: 7/10
Scott McKenna: Back line had their work cut out for much of the second half. The ball just kept coming at them. Held on for as long as they could. Rating: 7/10
Djed Spence: Could have done with seeing more of the ball and being able to run at the hosts. Generally made something happen when he did. Rating: 6/10
Ryan Yates: Battled away. Kept going right to the end, including going for goal late on, only to fall foul of the offside flag. Forest didn’t get a grip after the break, though. Rating: 5/10
James Garner: Played some nice passes in the first half and dug in to help out defensively. Too many long balls didn’t help the visitors’ cause, though, and second half was just not Forest. Rating: 5/10
Jack Colback: Made some important blocks and created a good chance for Johnson in the first half. Forest were left to rue those missed chances. Rating: 7/10
Philip Zinckernagel: At the heart of plenty of positive play in the first half, with tremendous work-rate. Second half was a different story all round, though - the visitors were not at the races. Rating: 5/10
Brennan Johnson: Left frustrated as decisions didn’t go his way at key times, with the officials a big talking point once again. Bright before the break but didn’t see much of the ball in the second half. Rating: 5/10
Sam Surridge: A case of ‘what if’. That chance which hit the bar, and then the offside/penalty decision which didn’t go his way. So close. Rating: 6/10
Subs
Joe Lolley (for Cook, 84mins): Tried to make things happen late on. Just didn’t come off. Rating: 6/10
Alex Mighten (for Zinckernagel, 84mins): Tough to make an impact when the Cherries had something to hold on to. Rating: 6/10
Richie Laryea (for Colback, 84mins): Provided fresh legs as the Reds looked tired, but didn’t get too many opportunities to use his pace. Rating: 6/10
Subs not used: Horvath, Cafu, Silva, Figueiredo.
