Ian Moore grabbed a face-saving point for Nottingham Forest which they hardly
deserved.
Brave Stoke, needing points to stay up just as desperately as
promotion-chasing Forest needed them at the other end of the table, saw victory
cruelly snatched from them.
Forest were dreadful for long spells, particularly in the first half,
andMoore's late, late header must have brought a sigh of relief from boss Dave
Bassett.
Stoke deserved more. They ran themselves into the ground, whereas droves of
Forest fans were already leaving the ground when Moore's effort found the corner
of Carl Muggleton's net.
Moore was only in the side because top scorer Pierre Van Hooijdonk was away on
international duty with Holland in the USA.
Stoke had to thank teenager Dean Crowe for their first half superiority. He
grabbed his first senior goal on only his second full appearance.
Forest were given a first-half roasting by Chris Kamara's battlers, and got
their reward when local lad Crowe lashed the ball home from six yards after Kyle
Lightbourne had flicked on a 32nd minute corner from Australian defender Danny
Tiatto.
Seconds earlier Forest keeper had brilliantly touched over a Lightbourne
header from an inswinging Tiatto cross, and the goal came from the resulting
flag kick.
It was no more that Stoke deserved against a Forest side who were being
stretched down both flanks.
Tony Scully, allowed out on-loan by Manchester City to their relegation
rivals, tormented Forest full-back Des Lyttle, and his pace and crossing were a
constant threat down the left.
Beasant was in action after just five minutes when he launched himself to his
left to fingertip away a blistering Lightbourne drive from 20 yards after the
£500,000 new boy, had played a clever one-two with Graham Kavanagh.
Forest could barely get out of their half at this stage, and they lost Steve
Chettle with a thigh strain after 13 minutes, to be replaced by Craig
Armstrong.
Scully was destroying Lyttle with his searing pace, and hurled over onecross
that Lightbourne missed fractionally with a diving header.
Lyttle's first half nightmare was compounded when he was booked for dragging
Lightbourne back as the striker - bought from Coventry in the week - had surged
past him.
You could only guess at the tone of boss Dave Bassett's half-time rollicking,
but Forest deserved every last scathing word.
They came out for the second half a changed team and at last started tomatch
Stoke's fire.
Damien Johnson got himself booked for retaliation aimed at Tiatto, and after a
couple more scuffles was dragged off by Bassett for his own good, Chris
Bart-Williams taking over.
Beasant almost presented Stoke with a second when his awful goalkick fell to
Crowe, who took the ball round the 'keeper but saw his shot blocked by a
desperate lunge from Armstrong after 57 minutes.
Forest were pinning Stoke back now, but Muggleton was rarely troubled due to
the efforts of Larus Sigurdsson and Justin Whittle infront of him.
Kamara finally decided to sacrifice Scully's trickery for a more
defensive-minded player in Kevin Keen.
But Forest's pressure paid off with three minutes to go when Ian Moore scored
with a looping header after Campbell had flicked on an Alan Rogers cross from
the left.
Teams
Stoke: Muggleton, Pickering, Tiatto, Sigurdsson, Whittle,
Scully (Keen 84), Holsgrove, Wallace, Crowe, Lightbourne,
Kavanagh (MacKenzie 67).
Subs Not Used: Xhusa.
Booked: Sigurdsson.
Goals: Crowe 32.
Nottm Forest: Beasant, Lyttle, Rogers, Cooper,
Chettle (Armstrong 13), A. Johnson (Thomas 84),
D. Johnson (Bart-Williams 57), Gemmill, Moore, Campbell,
Bonalair.
Booked: Lyttle, D. Johnson.
Goals: Moore 87.
Att: 16,899
Ref: D Pugh (Wirral).
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