Nottingham Forest beat league leaders Middlesbrough over the weekend as the city’s football teams produced a mixed bag of results.
Forest returned to winning ways after their midweek loss, neighbours Notts County suffered a further defeat whilst Sky Bet League Two’s Mansfield Town came from behind to secure a draw.
Here’s what happened over the weekend.
Back in front of a home crowd, The Reds returned to winning ways with an impressive 2-1 victory over high flying visitors Middlesbrough, closing the gap on the play off positions to just nine points.
Momentum was all with the visitors early on, and they took the lead through Grant Ledbitter’s cross which, with a bit of good fortune, evaded everyone and landed in the back of the net.
Forest responded in style soon after, Gary Gardner scoring a brilliant solo effort from 25 yards, a goal which swung the momentum back in the home side’s favour.
After the week we have had with injuries and the setback of losing midweek, the result is more than three points for me and it was a super-human effort from the team
Dougie Freedman speaking to the BBC after Middlesbrough victory
From then on the game evened out with the winner coming from a Forest counter attack, Dexter Blackstock’s 65th minute goal proving the difference between the two sides.
Forest remain 9th, nine points behind Brentford with ten games left, whilst Middlesbrough drop to 4th, level on points with Derby County, Watford, and Bournemouth above them.
Notts County
Neighbours County couldn’t back up their midweek win over Colchester as they went down to a 3-0 loss away to promotion chasing Swindon Town.
The visitors tested Swindon’s keeper Wes Foderingham early on but he was up to challenge, before John Swift got the first home goal in the 58th minute.
It was disappointing to concede three goals away from home but I have just looked at the second goal and it was 100% not a penalty
Shaun Derry talking to the BBC on the disappointing loss to Swindon
County keeper Roy Carroll conceded a penalty in the 64th minute which Andy Williams scored and things got worse for the away side as Liam Noble was sent off for a second yellow card.
Swindon, coming off the back of a 3-0 loss to Gillingham in the midweek round of fixtures, rounded off the result in the 89th minute, Harry Toffolo the scorer.
Mansfield Town
Billy Kee, on loan from Scunthorpe, rescued a point for Mansfield Town as he came off the bench to deny Cheltenham a much needed victory in their relegation battle.
Goal scoring chances were few and far between in the first half as The Stags were frustrated by the post and the cross bar and keeper Lenny Pidgeley kept out the Robin’s Troy Brown.
Cheltenham broke the deadlock in the 47th minute through Wes Burns before Kee levelled the tie 20 minutes later, a point enough for the Robins to move out of the relegation zone.
Mansfield Town drop to 19th but stretch their gap over the bottom two to eight points.
