It’s all systems Agogo for the league campaign!
Nottingham Forest - 4
Gillingham - 0
Well, I said we could win in emphatic style - and boy did we do that this afternoon. Although much of the ‘credit’ could be given to the Gills for being so absolutely atrocious, you can only play who’s put infront of you - and after a frustrating first half of uber-defensive play from Gillingham, it was good to see Forest break them down and eventually cut through them at will to record a deservedly substantial scoreline.
The game was played infront of a disappointing attendance - 16,330, with a low away following - but I suppose with the trip to Goose Fair only round the corner it was tough for the people of Gillingham to budget for two trips to the midlands in quick succession ;) It was one of those suspicious attendance figures - I think there were fewer than that in the ground - there were plenty of empty seats in all the sections I could see.
So, the game started and wasn’t particularly thrilling. Gillingham played in a 4-5-1 formation, which in reality was 9-1. Forest started with a different overt 4-3-3 formation, Commons dropped for Holt giving us three strikers on the field - although as the game wore on Grant got closer and closer to the left flank. But certainly it was an attacking statement from Smoulders.
The first half was a lot about possession for us. There was a lot of patient building from the back, and none-too-much penetrative football as we struggled to find an inroad against a packed defence. The first chance of note was after around a quarter of an hour, and was really no more than a speculative shot by Kelvin Wilson. Ten minutes later a Chambers cross brought a header from Tyson saved by ‘keeper Stillie.
A couple of minutes later Neil Lennon passed to Grant, he shot but it came back to Tyson who jinked inside a defender on the D and unleashed a shot which looked to be heading well-wide from my seat, but it curled in and crashed off the post with the keeper well beaten. At this point we started to look a little more threatening rather than just passing the ball around defence and midfield.
The goal game shortly before half time. Lennon took a freekick very quickly to Holt out wide on the left hand side, he hesitated before crossing with his left foot, but it turned out to be great ball in - with Agogo positioned well to head home powerfully. The resulting celebration was quite amusing - a forward roll, followed by the ’sniper’ routine, was rounded off with Chambers leapfrogging the goalscorer and copying the routine. Very strange!
The Gills only chance of the first half came shortly after - Wes allowed Delroy Facey past him but fortunately his partner Wilson was on hand to put in a crucial block on a shot which did look goalbound. So hardly a mesmerising first half, but Forest were in spells attacking well, and passing fluidly. Certainly the half time break passed more easily than recent ones have done!
Gillingham did start more brightly in the second half, without really creating much - and Forest soon took control once more and piled pressure onto the away side. The first chance came five minutes in, a Sammy Clingan corner was headed well by Chambers, but was cleared off the line by a Gills defender. Shortly after Tyson - who worked his arse off today - laid on a tap-in for Chambers, but former Red Nicky Southall was on hand to put in another block.
Shortly after this a Cohen corner was again met by Chambers, this time he keeper was on hand to pull off a fine save to deny him. Cohen crossed again and this time Morgan met it, yet again to be denied by a diving save from the Gillingham ‘keeper. Tyson was to be confounded by the woodwork again - shooting well from 18 yards but meeting the inside of the post - the ball fell kindly to Agogo who managed to spoon it over from 3 yards out.
There was a rare break from the Gills, though. I think it was Facey - since he seemed the only person often in our half - who latched onto a long ball and lobbed Smith to score - only to be flagged offside by Amy Rayner. He didn’t look offside from where I was sitting, and whilst it would’ve been horrendously against the run of play, I think the visitors had a decent shout for an equaliser there.
However, we were to start scoring again. Agogo passed the ball out right to Clingan, who pushed it further wide before knocking a cross/shot into the box, which Agogo managed to get onto the end of to head his second goal of the game. Shortly after this he’d completed his first hattrick for Forest after great work by Tyson - he beat Sodje - who was wearing a bandana thing that made him look like a badger - hit the bye-line and smashed a firm ball across the face of goal, giving Agogo a tap-in to secure the hattrick.
Agogo was taken off and replaced by rookie Emile Sinclair to a standing ovation, understandably, with about eight minutes on the clock. His first action was to lose the ball on the right hand side, however his second action in the game was to prove more decisive! Clingan fed the ball to Chambers who crossed low to the near post, and after a bit of pinball in the box Sinclair was able to stab the ball home.
A great result and a well-deserved one - we could’ve had more goals, but anyone unhappy with a 4-0 scoreline would be a bit silly! It was good to see the ‘togetherness’ exercise from the squad and management staff at fulltime, and frankly, it’s a huge relief to leave the City Ground with a smile on my face. So well done lads! Of course, the icing on the cake was hearing that Derby had been tonked at Arsenal!
22 September, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Great result - keep it up lads !!
22 September, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Great performance. But Gillingham were truly awful!
Just one groan; a few lads in the Trent End (lower) were absolutely slating Lennon. Calling him useless, overpaid (that I accept), and to “f**k off back to Ireland”
Why? Have I missed something? I thought he did his job very well indeed. Okay, he mis-placed a couple of passes (but so did Bennett) and missed a couple of tackles. But he plays centre midfield, therefore will see more of the ball and have more work to do than most. Was very funny though, when he got substituted. The very same dick-heads were standing and applauding! And I daresay they were the same numpties that slagged off CC earlier in the week for subbing Lennon.
For the first time in a long while today I found myself standing and applauding the players off for 5 minutes at the end - they deserved that - and I was chuffed to see the group huddle. Maybe we have finally turned the corner…?
Oh, nice to see Southall get a good reception, too.
22 September, 2007 at 9:29 pm
That was more like it! Well played you reduns!
22 September, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Did Chris Dickson play for Gills?
23 September, 2007 at 11:38 am
I heard similar chants against Lennon in Upper Bridgford, mattyboy, so like you, wonder if I’d missed something.
With the formation we played, I thought he did OK but would worry how he would cope with a better team than Gillingham. He’s certainly very one paced!!
23 September, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Dickson came on as a substitute, and was pretty much as anonymous as the rest of the Gills side aside from the ‘keeper.
23 September, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Have a look at this link for the Gillingham perspective. Quite frankly I think eleven dustbins would have given you a better game yesterday….
23 September, 2007 at 5:45 pm
http://brianmooreshead.wordpress.com/
24 September, 2007 at 10:32 am
Great result for all concerned. Could have been a lot more had their goalkeeper not made some fantastic saves and the woodwork not intervened to prevent Tyson racking up a couple.
As for the the remarks against Lennon (some in Upper Trent end as well), I am mystified - he does the simple things very well and sees a lot of the ball. His job is to get the ball and pass it to someone to do something with, he never has played the killer ball or been a prolific goal scoring midfileder. We do not need a player to become a scapegoat espaecially after a 4-0 win. Keep it up Lenny.
24 September, 2007 at 11:39 am
Lennon’s doing fine. There’s always idiots who can’t appreciate a player like him. Scot Gemmil from my era, and John McGovern I am told from before were in the same boat. He keeps things ticking over, being always available for balls from our players, and playing simple passes to those around him to get us moving. Its no coincidence that we are better as a team at keeping the ball now with his steady influence. I also like the way he keeps Morgan and Wilson on their toes. People got on his back when he slowed down in the last 10 minutes, but the fact is, he’s 37, and if he was still running around like he was 10 years younger, he would be too good to be playing for us at this level.
I think that Saturday’s performance was outstanding. Everything we want. Neat passing (possession football), patience to breakdown a nine man defence, full backs attacking down the wings. It was great to watch. I hope we can continue the form, keep relatively injury free in respect of the key players, and that Davies can come in soon and really make an impact.
24 September, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Great game, Great performance although lets not get carried away Gillingham were rubbish apart from Sodje.
The test will be to see if we can now step up and produce that kind of performance against the better sides in this division.
Regards to the abuse directed at Lennon lets bare in mind that these people are too stupid to see what he brings to the team Wacko Jacko has it spot on, John McGovern got similar abuse but Forest struggled when he wasn’t in the team.
I think Lennon has brought in exactly what we were lacking,
a player who can dig it out then play it (inteligently) to a player who can do something with it.
I have found his performances a joy to watch.
I thought the display of unity at the end was long overdue and great to see. It suggested ‘It’s us against the world and this is what we can do’
COME ON YOU REDS !!!
24 September, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Good, I thought I was alone in appreciating what Lennon does for us! Sad though, that even in victory certain sections of the Forest crowd still feel the need to barrack and whinge.
The public show of togetherness at the end I think was very clever on Calderwoods part. Great for the fans to see and be a part of, but also a subtle way of sticking 2 fingers up to us doubters (although he is slowly changing my view, particularly with the style of football), and saying “see, the players ARE behind me”.
Onwards and upwards!
24 September, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Funny you should say that, I just had a little rant about it
25 September, 2007 at 8:51 am
Whoever it was who was directing abuse at Lennon does not understand football, the man for his age is playing within his limits. If he played at full pelt he would last 45mins max. He has never been quick but he reads the game superbly and is ready to receive the ball all over the park as he invariably is in the right place at the right time. Compare him to last years incumbent (Holt) who gave the ball away all the time.
Good result and the pattern of play, especially in the second half was what we all want to see, but why has it taken so long. My view is that it had to happen on Saturday to save CC’s job. I think he had two more matches max and the board do realise that we will not put up with CC’s style of play for much longer. They will be more concerned with the drop in attendance figures than league position and i am convinced they were and probably still are ready to get rid of another defensive manager if results do not improve Consistently. They have got their replacement ready, some of CC’s radio comments plus the chairmans and that knob Arthur’s body languase show that.