Nottingham Forest chuck win away at the death

The Reds went 2-0 up through Joe Lolley and Joao Carvalho but Shane Ferguson pulled one back with fifteen minutes to go before Gregory’s late leveller.

Forest were left breathing a sigh of relief in the fifth minute as Millwall hit the bar. A cross from the left by Ferguson was headed against the wood work by Gregory.

Millwall’s early pressure continued and they went close once again. Tom Elliott saw a headed chance tipped out for a corner by Costel Pantilimon and from that following set piece, Murray Wallace was close to making contact with a diving header.

Forest’s first half chance came through Adlene Guedioura who dragged a shot wide of the Millwall goal from 25 yards out.

It was the visitors who continued to have the better of the chances inside the opening 20 minutes and Pantilimon did well to palm a Ferguson shot wide.

Lewis Grabban went into the game in great form after his brace away at Blackburn at the weekend and he nearly found the net once more but his flick at the near post, from a Ben Osborn cross, could only find the side netting.

In the 27th minute, Forest broke the deadlock with their first shot on target. The ever-dangerous Joe Lolley picked the ball up just outside the area and he found the bottom corner with a driven strike from 20 yards.

Despite taking the lead, Forest were still looking vulnerable in defence and Pantilimon was called into action once again to deny Gregory from close range, keeping his side ahead as the two teams went into half time.

With around twenty minutes to go, after a quiet start to the second half, the game was thrown in doubt after a floodlight failure at the City Ground. After a ten minute delay to allow the lights to cool down, they were slowly started back up and play resumed.

Moments after the game got back underway, Forest scored again. Joao Carvalho lit up the game with a brilliant free kick, finding the back of the net off the upright.

Five minutes later however, it was soon 2-1 as Millwall got a deserved goal. Shawn Williams punished Pantilimon for failing to claim the ball, rising to head into the empty net and keep the contest alive.

The visitors thought they had drawn level in the 78th minute but their joy soon turned to frustration as the goal was ruled out for a foul on a Forest player inside the area.

In the last minute of normal time, Millwall did get their equaliser. Lee Gregory converted in the dying seconds of the game with a predatory finish at the back post meaning Forest were forced to settle with a share of the points.

FOREST XI (4-2-3-1): Pantilimon; Janko, Hefele, Fox ©, Robinson; Colback, Guedioura; Lolley (Cash 58’), Carvalho (Dawson 80’), Osborn (Dias 73’); Grabban

SUBS NOT USED: Steele (GK), Watson, Murphy, Darikwa

MILLWALL XI: Amos (GK), Meredith (Morison 76’), Cooper, Williams, Gregory, Ferguson, Romeo, Elliott (Bradshaw 76’), Wallace, Skalak (O’Brien 68’), Leonard

SUBS NOT USED: Archer (GK), McLaughlin, Webster, Tunnicliffe

REFEREE: Jonathan Moss

ATTENDANCE: 25,753 (387 away)