Nottingham Forest miss out on chance to go third in the Championship after late Reading equaliser

Reading substitute Sam Baldock denied Forest after Sabri Lamouchi’s side thought they had done enough to go third in the Championship.

Lewis Grabban’s 16th goal of the season put Forest ahead with 10 minutes left of what had been a close contest but the home crowd’s celebrations were abruptly halted three minutes later as Baldock poked home in a crowded six-yard box.

With both West Bromwich Albion and Leeds leaking points in a simultaneous loss of form, Forest sensed an opportunity to step up the pressure on the faltering front two.

Yet Mark Bowen’s Reading, with whom they drew at the Madejski Stadium a couple of weeks ago, were never likely to provide other than a stiff test for the home side.  They arrived having suffered a defeat at Millwall last weekend but had previously lost only one in nine.

Forest created the best chances of the opening half, all of which involved the in-form Joe Lolley, who looked hungry to add to his two goals against Luton.

Lolley’s left foot forced a good save by ‘keeper Rafael Cabral low down by his left-hand post, curled a 20-yard free kick narrowly wide and thumped another, from much further out, into the Reading wall before Tiago Silva’s follow-up cleared the bar.

A shot from Jordan Obita on a Reading breakaway had Brice Samba in trouble at the end of the first half, the ball squirting away from him and out for a corner, which came to nothing. The same Reading player had a chance 15 minutes after the restart on the end of a superb ball by Michael Olise but shot straight at the Forest ‘keeper.  Olise wasted another opportunity when he sent a 20-yard free kick well over the top.

Grabban broke the deadlock when he slid the ball home from close range after Sammy Ameobi had found him unmarked at the far post.

Forest led in stoppage time at Reading only to concede an equaliser and it happened again as Baldock struck, running away to celebrate after the referee’s assistant confirmed the ball had crossed the line before Forest managed  to clear.

Lolley tried to snatch the advantage back  for Forest but was denied by another good save by Cabral.

Match details

Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Samba; Cash, Dawson, Worrall, Ribeiro; Watson, Sow (Carvalho 61); Lolley (Adomah 88), Tiago Silva, Ameobi; Grabban. Substitutes not used: Smith (g), Jenkinson, Semedo, Yates, Rodriguez.

Reading (4-2-3-1): Cabral; Gunter, Morrison, Moore, Blackett; Swift, Pele; Olise (Loader 89), Ejaria, Obita; Puscas (Baldock 78). Substitutes: Walker (g), Miazga, Rinomhota, Boye, Adam.

Referee: David Webb (Lancashire).

Bookings: Forest: Ribeiro. Reading: Pele, Ejaria.

Attendance: 26,480.