Nottingham Forest 1 v West Bromwich Albion 1 - EFL Championship

Tuesday 7th August 2018
SkyBet EFL Championship
at the City Ground
Nottingham Forest (0) 1
Adlene Guédioura 59
West Bromwich Albion (0) 1
Matt Phillips 87
Attendamce 27,850

Nottingham Forest:
Costel Pantilimon, Tendayi Darikwa, Tobias Figueiredo, Danny Fox (C), Ben Osborn, Adlene Guedioura, Jack Colback, Gil Dias (Diogo Goncalves 78'), Joao Carvalho (Hillal Soudani 85'), Joe Lolley, Lewis Grabban
Unused subs - Jordan Smith, Ben Watson, Daryl Murphy, Jack Robinson, Michael Dawson
West Bromwich Albion:
Sam Johnstone, Oluwatosin Adarabioyo, Kyle Bartley, Ahmed Hegazi, Kieran Gibbs, Matt Phillips, Jake Livermore, James Morrison (Dwight Gayle 61'), Chris Brunt (C), Harvey Barnes, Jay Rodriguez (Hal Robson-Kanu 90')
Unused subs - Boaz Myhill, Conor Townsend, Oliver Burke, Gareth Barry, Rakeem Harper

I'm rubbish at watching football on television and am a firm believer that actually being there in person is an infinitely better experience... I have tried to recreate and replicate the live experience at home, y'know, adding realistic touches to my environment, like twisting the telly to an awkward angle to restrict my view through the strategically placed fireguard, while the missus frequently stands in my sight-line wearing a florescent 'crowd control

steward' hi-vis vest, as complete strangers push past me to get to the bathroom at annoyingly frequent intervals and the six foot eight inch tall beer monster from number 15 stands up in front of me (even though he can see everything perfectly well while sitting on his big bum from his vantage point) every time there is the slightest chance of any goalmouth action.
But no... try as I might, you just can't beat watching live football from the stands.

Today's lesson for Aitor Karanka's rebuilt Forest side was: when you're on top and bossing the pace, you are still vulnerable to a late sucker punch, if you don't finish the game off and don't build on a single goal lead. Especially against a side of West Brom's quality, who might only have picked up a solitary point from their opening two games, but obviously have the players among their ranks to be up there challenging at the business end of the table, once a pecking order of runners and riders as been established and the season progresses.

Nobody ever won the league by being top during the first week in August, when all is said and done, but the home side will still view tonight's result as two points lost rather than one won and will be cursing their luck for not finding the target from several really good chances, before Albion staged a late rally in the game... and almost snatched an unlikely win as Dwight Gayle and Taylor Barnes both hit the woodwork either side of Matt Phillips stunning late equaliser, as did Phillips himself in  what was a grandstand finish; after Adlene Guédioura had given Karanka's side a thoroughly deserved lead just before the hour mark, after cutting inside from the left and beating Sam Johnstone with a slightly deflected strike, that was destined for the back of the net regardless.

The Reds controlled this game, which was played at a frantic, with Guedioura, or عدلان قديورة‎ as he is known in his native Algeria, fizzing about like a frenetic Tasmanian Devil at times, impressing upon the clubs £20,000,000 worth of new talent, what kind of standards and application will be expected from them, as the West Bridgford side look to make a serious promotion bid this term. Guedioura isn't of course, one of the rack of new arrivals at the City Ground; he's been there since January 2018 and was previously at the club in 2012 as a loan signing from Albion's local Rivals Wolves, before making 40 appearances in the Garibaldi red the following season as a fully fledged Forest player.

Not that I'd ever claim to be anything other than someone who keeps a semi-interested watch, from a distance, on the ins and outs at tonight's host club, I think that I wouldn't be too far off of the mark, in saying that two of their most important transfer dealings of the Summer, were retaining the services on Jack Colback again, on a season long loan from Newcastle United... and making the Romanian keeper Costel Pantilimon a permanent team member after his successful loan spell last season.
I think it would be fair to say, as regards the Forest goalmouth, anything in the air belongs to Pantilimon.

The home side did have the ball in the net in the first half, when Lewis Grabban (who was also guilty of missing two great chances) rolled the loose ball into the back of an empty net,moments after play had been stopped, after Tendayi Darikwa had accidentally caught Sam Johnstone in the face with an outstretched boot as the pair of them challenged for the ball at ground level. There was no malice on Darikwa's part, but I would imagine that didn't spare the Baggies keeper's pain any. I can only imagine that the home supporters who were up in arms over the decision, didn't have as clear a view of Johnstone's woes as those of us who were in line with the painful collision did.

Is that a bulge in your net or are you just pleased to see me?

It used to be heroic outlaws who were championed for their exploits against the Sheriff of Nottingham, who got away with daring escapades and breathtaking robbery around these parts, but tonight it was the Throstles (do Albion/the Baggies still get called that?), who staged a late plunder raid and probably had their leg over with Maid Marion on the coach ride back to Smethwick too (though she must have seen better days by now) and snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat.

There could however, be no argument whatsoever about the quality of Phillips eighty seventh minute strike, as he crashed the ball into the roof of the net from the edge of the Reds area... nor the great timing of Kieran Gibbs last ditch clearance, off of the line at the other end, from Grabban's stoppage time header, that denied the striker a debut goal in front of the Trent End and bought the curtain down on this absorbing and engrossing contest.

FT: Nottingham Forest 1 v West Bromwich Albion 1

The Football League Championship eh!? It's the gift that keeps giving.

Walking back across the car park after the game, a former Nottingham Forest and England player of my acquaintance, was being stopped every few yards for autographs and selfies and wasn't making a lot of progress towards his car, he turned and joked with me: "I need to get a daft hat like yours so nobody recognises me!"

Hmm... my bespoke titfer possibly gives me the look of a low budget Freddie Kruger, but you my good man, will always (and forever) look daft for all eternity, for not fouling Diego Maradona before he dashed off on a mazy run towards England's goal at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. 

I'm sure that nobody has ever mentioned it to him before.