Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town FC (2nd Mar 2021)

Match Report | Nottingham Forest 0-1 Luton Town

Tunnicliffe's** second goal in as many games is the winner against Forest!**

The Hatters made it two wins in two with a memorable midweek victory against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground this evening.

After Forest dominated the opening period, Ryan Tunnicliffe opened the scoring midway through the second-half as the Hatters held on for their twelfth win of the season.

Luton Manager Nathan Jones started the same team that fought back from two goals down after half-time to beat Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, bringing Harry Cornick, Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu and Glen Rea into the starting eleven.

Forest started the stronger of the two sides. Anthony Knockaert found former Brighton teammate Glen Murray free in the box with a whipped cross from the right, which forced Town stopper Simon Sluga into an early save low at his near post.

As the Hatters grew into the game in the opening fifteen minutes, Sluga was called into his second save of the opening period. Knockaert pulled a wide free-kick back to Lolley on the edge of the box, who fired at goal first time with Sluga parrying away before saving Cafu’s follow-up effort.

Half-an-hour in and Forest should have taken the lead through centre-forward Murray. Knockaert broke away down the left flank after Forest won possession on the edge of their own box, finding Murray six yards out who fired over on the volley.

The Hatters finished the half by creating a half-chance of their own, with Glen Rea releasing Elijah Adebayo in behind the Forest defence, who cut inside onto his left foot but his shot was blocked from 12 yards.

Town went into the half-time break behind on the chances count but crucially level on the scoreboard and with a platform to build on at the City Ground.

On the hour mark Sluga was once again called into action, saving well low to his left. Yuri Ribeiro broke down the left, with his pull back rolling through to James Garner on the edge of the box before firing low through the legs of Matty Pearson.

Saturday’s match winner Adebayo came close to giving the Hatters the lead minutes after Sluga’s save. Town’s young striker won the first header from a long ball, allowing Tunnicliffe to fire in powerful effort that was blocked and fell into the path of Adebayo who couldn’t make a clean connection, shooting straight at Brice Samba.

Midway through the second half and the Hatters took the front after Tunnicliffe scored his second in two games. The impressive Jordan Clark drove inside from the right and found Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu down the left, who delivered an inswinging cross into the path of Tunnicliffe who poked home after arriving late in the box.

Forest manager Chris Hughton responded by bringing on Lyle Taylor and Sammy Ameobi in an attempt to get themselves back into the game, however it was the Hatters who came close to doubling their advantage soon after. Adebayo was once again involved, driving past Joe Worrall to the by-line and pulling back into Clark, with his effort across goal shaving the far post.

The Hatters continued to threaten occasionally on the counter-attack. This time Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall picked the ball up inside Town’s half, driving forward with Cornick ahead of him but firing straight at Forest ‘keeper Samba.

As the time ticked down into three minutes of stoppage time the Hatters successfully slowed the game and denied Forest any sight of goal, sealing a fantastic away victory and making it two wins in four days as they moved up to 13th in the Championship table.

Town: Sluga, Pearson, Naismith, Potts, Clark, Rea (C), Mpanzu, Tunnicliffe, Dewsbury-Hall, Cornick (Bree 85), Adebayo (Collins 81). Subs not used: Shea, Cranie, Berry, Ince, Moncur, Hylton, Nombe.

Goals: Tunnicliffe (64)

Yellows: Naismith

Forest: Samba, Christie, Worrall (C), Figueirdo, Ribeiro, Cafu, Garner, Lolley (Amerobi 68), Krovinovic (Taylor 68), Knockaert (Mighten 79), Murray. Subs not used: Smith, Blackett, Jenkinson, Mbe Soh, Colback, Freeman.

Yellows: None

Referee: Jeremy Simpson

Chris Cohen reacts to win against Nottingham Forest!

The first-team coach reacts to a fantastic team performance...

Chris Cohen praised the performance of the whole team after the Hatters defeated Nottingham Forest this evening.

Thanks to Ryan Tunnicliffe’s second-half strike, Town made it two wins from two in the Sky Bet Championship and pushed themselves up into 13th place, ahead of Saturday’s meeting with league leaders Norwich City.

“I just thought it was a brilliant performance." Cohen started. "We were dogged, the keeper was brilliant when he needed to be and then in-front of that, everyone had a really good game.

“There wasn’t one person you could look at from the 90 minutes or the subs that came on that played below-par.

“I thought the boys did everything they could to get a result, at times in the first half we rode our luck a little bit without being under severe pressure but lots of crosses in our box and Glenn Murray had a few chances.

“Second half I thought it was a perfect away performance in terms of getting the goal, having a few chances and we kept the ball against a team that want to build pressure towards the end of the game and we never allowed it. I thought there were some magnificent performances all over the pitch.

One of those particular individual performances that impressed the first-team coach was Simon Sluga, who made a number of important saves to fought Nottingham Forest.

“I think Slugs has had a brilliant season. When he came last year he had time to adapt and since I have come in anyway, I can only judge it on that, he has been pretty perfect. Not made many mistakes and tonight is properly the best game I have seen him have.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhgNX8-euV8 – Match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocvai5yzq9Y – Chris Cohen post-match interview

Tunnicliffe** grabs the only goal as Luton win at Forest for the first time since 1983**

Championship: Nottingham Forest 0 Luton Town 1

Ryan Tunnicliffe scored for the second game in a row as Luton Town picked up their first win at Nottingham Forest since March 1983 with a terrific 1-0 victory this evening.

Going into the contest, the Hatters had endured a miserable time of it at the City Ground, losing seven and drawing five of their last 12 visits, not triumphing since club legend Ricky Hill's strike decided a Division One contest almost 38 years ago.

It looked like that run would continue after a first half that the hosts dominated, going close through Glenn Murray, but Luton dug in, crucially getting through to half time with the scores goalless.

Once Tunnicliffe had put them ahead just after the hour mark, they then saw out the rest of the game with very few alarms, while could have even added to their tally in the latter stages.

The Hatters made three changes from Saturday's superb comeback 3-2 win over Sheffield Wednesday, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Harry Cornick and Glen Rea in for Tom Ince, Joe Morrell and Martin Cranie, meaning the team that ended the contest starting this one.

Forest started the brighter, experienced striker Glenn Murray left completely unmarked to put a free header goalwards that Simon Sluga parried, before Anthony Knockaert directed his effort from Joe Lolley's inviting cross over.

Lolley then set off on a driving run from inside his own half, but his finish was poor, dragging well wide from 25 yards.

Town took a while to threaten the hosts' area, Elijah Adebayo mistiming his jump at the far post from Mpanzu's cross and Cornick's effort blocked.

Murray was still a problem in the air, his downward header dropping wide of the target, while Cyrus Christie also had a pop on 18 minutes, failing to locate the target on his left foot.

Forest did finally test Sluga again midway through the half, as the Croatian fisted away Lolley's blast after a well-worked free kick and then gathered Cafu's deflected follow up from outside the box.

It was all the hosts in terms of meaningful chances, Knockaert delivering a wonderful cross from the left that was met by Murray, but stretching, he volleyed a few inches over the top from a matter of yards.

Luton could never make the most of their odd opening, Cornick blazing a cross behind following Jordan Clark's adventurous foray upfield, as still Forest pressed, Knockaert's radar remaining awry after a short corner.

On the stroke of half time, Adebayo managed to get into the home area, but despite committing a few defenders, saw his shot repelled away.

After the break, Forest tried their luck again from range, while the increasingly impressive Kal Naismith produced an excellent sliding block to prevent Murray breaking the deadlock.

Just before the hour, Sluga made a superb save to keep the scores goalless, as a speedy counter saw James Garner pick up possession and from 16 yards, unleash a drive that was destined for the bottom corner until the keeper reacted brilliantly to turn it behind with his left hand.

Luton went straight up the other end and should have had the lead themselves, Clark's angled volley deflecting for Adebayo but eight yards out, he shanked straight at Brice Samba, when a truer connection would have seen the net ripple.

Samba was picking the ball out of the net though on 64 minutes when a good passing move started by Clark saw the ball played out wide to Mpanzu.

He whipped an excellent cross into the area and Tunnicliffe showed superb desire, as he had done on Saturday, to be first to the ball, stretching out a leg to divert a volley beyond the keeper for a shock lead and the first goal the hosts had conceded at home in over three and a half games.

It should have been 2-0 to the Hatters on 73 minutes, as Adebayo did tremendously to create an opening by the byline, teeing up Clark, but he couldn't quite pick out the bottom corner.

Buoyed by that goal, Town's performance levels increased dramatically, their passing sharper, everyone a yard quicker, with tackles being snapped into as well.

It had the opposite effect on the hosts, who all of a sudden became laboured, with their passes going astray and shots becoming more in hope rather than expectation, particularly when Cafu was within 30 yards of goal.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's low daisycutter was gathered by Samba as Forest never looked capable of producing a grandstand finish, meaning Town made it back-to-back Championship wins for the first time since September, recording yet another 1-0 away success, and climbing up to 13th in the table.

Forest: Brice Samba, Cyrus Christie, Tobias Figueiredo, Joe Worrall ©, Yuri Ribeiro, Cafu, Joe Lolley (Sammy Ameobi 68), Glenn Murray, Filip Krovinovic (Lyle Taylor 68), Anthony Knockaert (Alex Mighten 79), James Garner.

Subs not used: Jordan Smith, Loic Mbe Soh, Jack Colback, Luke Freeman, Carl Jenkinson, Tyler Blackett.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, Jordan Clark, Dan Potts, Matty Pearson, Kal Naismith, Glen Rea ©, Jordan Tunnicliffe, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Harry Cornick (James Bree 85), Elijah Adebayo (James Collins 81).

Subs not used: James Shea, Danny Hylton, George Moncur, Luke Berry, Martin Cranie, Sam Nombe, Tom Ince.

Booked: Naismith 61.

Referee: Jeremy Simpson.

Cohen hails a 'perfect' second half away performance by the Hatters during Forest win

Town coach thrilled as Luton tick off another milestone

Luton first team coach Chris Cohen hailed the Hatters’ second half performance as ‘perfect’ as they triumphed 1-0 at Nottingham Forest this evening.

After a goalless opening 45 minutes in which the hosts dominated, with Town under the cosh at times, Simon Sluga making some important stops, they crucially managed to get through to the interval unscathed

A change in shape for the second period saw the Hatters gain a definite foothold in proceedings and it paid off when Ryan Tunnicliffe met Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu's superb cross on the volley to net the only goal of the game just after the hour mark.

Cohen, a former Forest player and captain, said afterwards: "I thought it was a brilliant performance, we were dogged, the keeper was brilliant when he needed to be and then in front of that everyone, everyone had a really good game.

“There wasn’t one person you could look at throughout the 90 minutes or the subs that came on that played below par so I thought the boys did everything they could to get a result.

“At times in the first half we rode our luck a little bit without ever being under severe pressure, but lots of crosses in our box, Glenn Murray had a couple of good chance.

"Then second half thought it was the perfect away performance, in terms of we got a goal, had a couple of chances and kept the ball against a team that wanted to come and build pressure towards the end of the game but we never allowed it and there were brilliant performances all over the pitch."

Town's victory was their first at the City Ground since 1983, when Ricky Hill settled a Division One contest, as Cohen added: "These boys, some of them have been here for a short period of time, some have been for a long period of time, they're ticking off so many things that haven't happened for a long time.

"Beating teams home and away like a Sheffield Wednesday, coming from two goals down in the Championship and then winning a game here after 30-odd years, it's a real credit to the players.

"As we hopefully put good plans together, but the players are able to implement them and have been brilliant tonight, they have been brilliant all season.

"I think they're finally now getting the rewards that all their hard worn has deserved."