Nottingham Forest rounded off pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Valencia, thanks to Brennan Johnson’s equaliser.
The Reds had the better of the first half and created some good chances, with Jesse Lingard central to much of their positive play. The summer signing tried his luck on a few occasions early on, dragging a couple of efforts wide and seeing another deflected behind.
It was Sam Surridge who came closest to opening the scoring, however. The striker hit the far post with a header from Brennan Johnson’s cross after the Wales international had beaten goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili to a long ball.
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Somewhat harshly, though, Forest found themselves a goal down at the break. Dean Henderson had saved from Goncalo Guedes within the first few minutes, and the Valencia man had an impact again just before the interval. His cross from the right found an unmarked Carlos Soler charging in at the far post, with his first-time effort lashed home.
Openings were a little harder to come by in the second half, although Steve Cook and Scott McKenna went close with headers. At the opposite end, Henderson did well to thwart Soler with his legs.
Then, in the final 10 minutes, Johnson levelled things up. Latching on to a ball across the face from Taiwo Awoniyi, he thumped it in to make it 1-1.
The pair almost combined again a few minutes later, but the goalkeeper denied Johnson a winner. Here’s how Reds reporter Sarah Clapson rated the Forest players at Meadow Lane.
Dean Henderson: Made some smart saves, including a good one from Goncalo Guedes early on. Distribution was good and was composed with the ball at his feet, even when under pressure.
Joe Worrall: Defence had to be on their toes against a good Valencia side. Made some good challenges and helped limit the Spanish side to few real clearcut chances.
Steve Cook: Almost got on the scoresheet with a header. Back line in general had a few challenging moments, but overall, they stood firm.
Scott McKenna: A couple of airings of ‘you’ll never beat McKenna’ as he went in full-bloodied and didn’t give the visitors much change. Tested the visiting goalkeeper with a header from a corner.
Neco Williams: Terrific at racing forward; he clearly loves to attack. Played some cute passes, particularly during an entertaining first half.
Jack Colback: Worked well with O’Brien alongside him. The two of them seemed to form a decent understanding, even if the attacking platform wasn’t necessarily there.
Lewis O’Brien: Workrate was tremendous. Never stopped running and covered so much ground. Has the makings of being a great addition if he can carry his pre-season form into the new campaign.
Harry Toffolo: Involved in some positive moments. Minutes on the pitch will help when it comes to developing an understanding with his new teammates. A testing workout against a sharp Valencia side.
Jesse Lingard: At the heart of much of Forest’s positive play early on, showing some classy touches and a willingness to have a shot. No shortage of commitment, either - sprinting back to defend a counterattack on one occasion. A really good debut.
Brennan Johnson: Well-taken goal for the equaliser, made sure he was in the right place and finished with aplomb. Rounded off a nice move. Had been lively throughout and was so close to getting a second.
Sam Surridge: Unlucky not to make it two in two pre-season games with a strong header which hit the post. Involved in some neat link-up play. And most importantly, valuable minutes to help build match sharpness on his return from injury.
SUBSTITUTES
Taiwo Awoniyi (for Surridge, 62mins): Beautiful assist for the leveller. Used his strength to hold off his marker and lay the ball on a plate for Johnson.
Cafu (for Lingard, 77mins): Got stuck in when he came on, but difficult to really make an impact. Got plenty of love from the crowd for that goal on Tuesday night, though.
Not used: Smith, Shelvey, Biancone, Mbe Soh, Laryea, Mighten, Niakhate, Taylor, Fewster, Hammond.
Who stood out for you against Valencia? Have your say in the comments below
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