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A very early
kick-off for this game, 9:00 a.m., saw Forest slow out of the
blocks as Brentwood started the game the better of the two
teams. Forest had also been forced to make a couple of changes
to what would have been regarded as their strongest side due to
illness and this meant that the team took sometime to adjust to
the changes. |
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Whilst Forest
settled Brentwood managed a couple of long range shots that
Forest's keeper, Elliott Thwaites, saved well. But as the game
moved on Forest began to play football. The ball was moved
quickly from flank to flank and this began to stretch
Brentwood's, so far, solid defence. Chances were then created
for both the Forest' strikers but a mixture of good goalkeeping
and profligacy kept the score at 0-0 until the 20th minute.
Brentwood attacked down the right wing and a mistake allowed the
Brentwood left winger to cross from the bye line. The ball was
met well by a Brentwood striker inside the six-yard box. Elliott
somehow reacted well and saved the shot but the ball rebounded
into the striker and bounced into the net. |
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Forest
reacted well to the set back playing some great football. Dan
Barker, Jack Eldridge and Matt Huckle were all having their best
performances of the season. Chance followed chance. The keeper
saved well, pushing the ball against the post, from a powerful
shot from Jack Hawthorn 20 yards out. David Keen then went close
when he headed just over from a corner. Another corner saw some
desperate Brentwood defending as the ball bounced around inside
the 6 yard box. But again the ball couldn't be put in the back
of the net and the Forest ended the half still trailing. |
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Again Forest
started the half poorly and this time it proved costly. A foul
on the Forest left of their goal area saw the freekick swung in.
This was misjudged by the Forest defence and from 5 yards out a
Brentwood player headed unchallenged into the net. |
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Minutes later
Forest conceded another as a hopeful ball over the top of the
Forest defence from Brentwood caught Forest playing the offside
trap. It was a close call by the Referee but the decision went
against Forest and the on running Brentwood player took his
chance well to hit the third. |
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After a few
minutes Forest lifted their heads and began to play football
again. Forest again began to dominate the play but the
breakthrough for Forest came from a route one clearance from the
keeper. Elliott's clearance bounced over the Brentwood defence
and Jack Hawthorn was in one-on-one with the keeper. This time
he coolly slotted the ball wide of the keeper and into the net.
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More chances
came for Forest but the keeper continued to pull off some good
saves to thwart the Forest players. But with 20 minutes to go
the keeper had no chance when the ball fell to David Keen 30
yards out. His right footed shot, perhaps not hit as sweetly as
it could have been, sailed into the top left-hand corner of the
goal as the keeper desperately struggled to save it.
Forest were on
the ascendancy and the Brentwood players began to feel the
pressure. Every Forest player was straining and pulling out the
stops to get back to level the game. The Brentwood players
however took every opportunity to slow the game down with
countless substitutions and slow restarts. But the frustrations
didn't stop Forest from playing some good football. Greg Fedden
was pushed into the midfield and found himself at the end of a
good move just six yards out from goal. He had to react quickly
and his stretch for the ball led to the shot amazingly going
over the bar. |
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The close
chances didn't end there for Greg. With less than 5 minutes to
go Forest won a corner on the right. As had been happening
throughout the whole game the delivery from Jack was excellent.
Greg met the ball superbly six yards out and directed his header
goal wards. It just wasn't Forest's day as the ball went by the
post by an inch. |
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That proved
the last clear cut chance of the game as Brentwood played out
the rest of the 5 minutes before the end of the game. Forest
ended the game with just 2 defenders but even here the
performances were excellent with Lewis White defending as if the
world depended on it. |
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Whilst the
result was a disappointment the performance was a real delight
for the supporters and management who had little criticism for
the team.
The disappointment was eased a little after the game with news
that the league leaders had also been defeated, showing the
competitiveness of this division, by the bottom team. |
