Here is Bazza’s take on yesterdays game.

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The third round of the FA Cup still causes a flicker of excitement down my spine as the prospect of a Cup run is always there if a team can negotiate this round and get a favourable draw in the fourth round. I was accompanied by my youngest son for this one on the 145 miles journey north from home and we arrived at one of the park and walk areas about ten minutes from the ground. A bitterly cold afternoon greeted us and there was a thin covering of snow on the path along the river which made for difficult walking and I was beginning to wish that I’d remembered to bring warmer footwear as my shoes began to get wet as did my socks making my feet cold and uncomfortable.

We arrived at the ground in need of a drink and a hot pie. The food when we got it was fine but why oh why does the standard of catering service at most football grounds, including ours incidentally, have to be so shambolic? Thirty-five minutes fighting to get a drink and then had to join another queue to get a pie! This year I’m going to rate the standard of catering at various grounds in terms of quality of product; 6/10 Value for money; 5/10 Standard of service 1/10. For those Forest fans reading this I can assure you there are places far worse which speaks volumes for the abysmal attitude football clubs in general show towards their paying customers. Away fans particularly travel long distances sometimes and arrive at grounds in need of something to eat and drink. It is not unreasonable for those customers and guests, for that is what they are, to expect a reasonable standard of service at a reasonable price for a reasonable quality of product. Enough griping about the catering what about the game?

I was a little surprised that although there was a crowd of over 20,000, the City Ground was nowhere near full despite the allocation at our end had been largely taken up. It appears that the lack of interest was far worse elsewhere; look at the case of the all Premiership tie at Wigan for the visit of Hull where only 5,200 or so bothered to turn up. The game started brightly enough with Forest getting the better of the early exchanges. James Perch’s lofted pass found Dexter Blackstock, who turned and fired a shot into the side-netting from the right-hand side of the box. It would in all honesty have been very difficult to score from where he was and the response from the crowd to this chance was more bluster than substantial danger as Blues makeshift defence had all angles covered.

McCleish had made six changes to the side that had built up the recent unbeaten run of 11 games with the suspended Carr replaced by Parnaby, Scott Dann by Ridgewell who had moved across from left back to accommodate Vignal. Keith Fahey started in place of Larsson as did Carsley for the absent McFadden. DJ and Barry Ferguson made up the midfield quartet with Jerome and Phillips up front. This was still a pretty decent team on paper but the inclusions did not help the rhythm of the team and Birmingham’s play look disjointed and laboured although Jerome and Phillips did test Camp in the Forest goal with shots that the custodian dealt with easily. Forest have themselves put together an impressive run of 16 games unbeaten in the Championship and this has rewarded them with third place in a tough division which they clearly deserve. They showed a lot of slick passing and excellent movement helped by the patchwork quilt of a Birmingham side far too intent on giving the ball away too cheaply.

Forest for all their attractive play created very few clear cut chances and spent most of their effort playing in front of Blues who were for the most part content to let them do so. Forest’s best chance to score came just before the interval when Chambers’ glancing header from Radoslaw Majewski’s in-swinging corner bounced down in front of the line after striking the underside of the crossbar. This was a lucky escape for Blues who could not have complained had the hosts taken the lead. The second half was better and started with Blues on the front foot. Camp reacted quickly to beat Jerome to a loose ball inside the six-yard box but the ricochet did not favour the Birmingham striker. Cohen should have given Forest the lead after 52 minutes following a surging run from Blackstock who offloaded the ball to the midfielder inside the area. Unfortunately, for Cohen his shot was straight at Hart.

Forest were presented with the chance of the game to take the lead in the 62nd minute when Vignal inadvertently tripped Paul Anderson inside the area. Both players were running after the ball as it was running away from goal and the defender clipped the Forest man’s heels. It was an accident with no intent but the match was being refereed by none other than he who despises us, Steve Bennett whom I have never rated in any case. He pointed immediately to the spot and I suppose he had little choice in fairness. Enter stage left one Robert Earnshaw who nonchalantly, arrogantly and carelessly put the penalty kick over the crossbar thus squandering Forest’s best chance of progressing through to the next round. I doubt that Blues would have had the wherewithal to recover had the kick been converted.

The Wales international almost made amends three minutes later. Following a neat one-two with Blackstock, Earnshaw was through on goal but his low shot was brilliantly saved by the fingertips of Hart. Blues woke up at this point and started believing that the Reds had shot their bolt and it was time to steal the tie. Phillips struck the outside of a post with a stunning 30-yard effort on 67 minutes. The same player saw a one-on-one chance go begging midway through the second half.

Substitute Gary McSheffrey was causing the Forest defence problems by running at them with increasing confidence and from one such run he put Phillips in the clear on the left-hand side of the box but only a brilliant save by Camp denied the veteran striker. McSheffrey then put the rebound over the crossbar from 18 yards when a little care and attention to technique would surely have won the tie then and there. Camp was called into action again seven minutes from time, this time to turn Barry Ferguson’s header round a post after the Scot looked to have guided Damien Johnson’s cross into the bottom corner. The game petered out to a goalless draw from this point on.

Billy Davies said afterwards that he was disappointed to have not won the game. He is of course right to be disappointed and were football decided like a boxing match his side would undoubtedly have won narrowly on points. He said that the game should have been out of sight in the first half with his team two or three up. I don’t know where he gets this analysis from but the header against the bar was unfortunate and a 1 – 0 score line would not have been an unfair reflection of the game at that point. However, Blues had their moments and despite disruptions to the makeshift side caused by early injuries to the unlucky Parnaby and Carsley who were replaced by McSheffrey and Bowyer respectively dealt with most of what a good Forest side had to offer and could have stolen the tie quite easily in the last twenty minutes. In the end a draw was fair as Forest weren’t quite good enough to win it when it was there for the taking and Blues were happy to have a chance to complete the job at St Andrews in a few days time.

KRO SOTV