Wednesday’s wretched run continued with a largely punchless 2-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Forest this evening.
The game meant the chance to move to within one point of the home side with a long-awaited victory but that never looked likely after falling behind to an early goal. It’s also the eighth game without a win under Tony Pulis, a fourth successive defeat and leaves us rooted at the foot of the Championship.
Fellow strugglers Wycombe stay two points and one place above us, after losing at Bournemouth tonight, while 22nd-placed Derby are four points clear and will stretch that to seven if they beat Swansea at home tomorrow evening.
At the City Ground, Forest took the lead after just four minutes and again it was poor defending that was our undoing.
The home side were able to build down the right under little pressure and when the play was switched to the left, defender Yuri Ribeiro was in acres of space to drill the ball back across Joe Wildsmith and into the far corner of the net.
We regrouped to some degree for the rest of the half, Tom Lees heading well wide from a teasing Adam Reach cross and Kadeem Harris having our only shot on target in the first half when he fired straight at Brice Samba from the edge of the box.
It was still Forest who looked more likely to add to their lead, Cafu netting from close range but ruled offside and then Chey Dunkley clearing off the line from Lyle Taylor’s effort after we were again opened up down the right-hand side.
However, five minutes from the break came our best opening of the half, Josh Windass heading on a Barry Bannan cross but Reach unable to make contact at the far post.
The second half was an attacking non-event for Wednesday, despite Pulis making four substitutes during the second 45, and we failed to have any efforts, either on or off target.
At the other end, Sammy Ameobi brought a save out of Wildsmith with a long-ranger and then easily skipped past the challenge of Joost van Aken to force another stop from the Wednesday keeper.
Those openings aside, Forest created few other chances of their own but it was up to Wednesday to force the issue and that never happened in the final third, despite having a decent amount of possession.
Then, with three minutes remaining, Forest sealed victory when Lewis Grabban ran onto a through ball, won the challenge against Tom Lees – with what Wednesday felt was a high tackle – and drove the ball past Wildsmith for the clincher.
Wednesday defender Moses Odubajo then appeared to congratulate goalscorer Grabban, both being former Brentford players, but the Wednesday defender tweeted after the game: “The loss is frustrating for myself and the team. I would never high 5 another player for scoring against us. I said to Grabban no way is that a goal because of the foul and laughed it off thinking the goal wouldn’t stand.”
Wildsmith, Odubajo, Dunkley, Lees, Van Aken (Rhodes 80), Harris (Paterson 55), Pelupessy, Bannan, Shaw (Hunt 75), Reach, Windass (Brown 75). Unused subs. Jackson, Palmer, Penney, Urhoghide, Kachunga.