Nottingham Forest's hopes of surviving relegation from the Coca-Cola
Championship suffered a huge blow when they were soundly beaten on home soil by
Plymouth.
Gary Megson's men had gone into the game lying second from bottom and five
points adrift of safety, and found themselves a goal behind in only the second
minute when Dexter Blackstock struck from point-blank range.
Forest slipped further into arrears before half-time when a David Norris shot
was deflected home via defender Wes Morgan before Blackstock scored his second
and the Pilgrims' third in the second half.
The home side had soon found themselves chasing the game after paying the
price for woeful defending as Andy Melville and Chris Doig impeded each other
when trying to clear their lines.
But instead of hacking the ball to safety, the duo merely succeeded in
squeezing the ball to an unmarked Blackstock, on loan from Southampton, who
showed no mercy from six yards out.
Just three minutes later Forest boss Megson was incandescent on the touchline
as Hasney Aljofree was allowed a free shot from 20 yards out which rose over
goalkeeper Paul Gerrard's crossbar.
Norris was next to chance his arm for the Pilgrims before Paul Wotton, with an
abundance of time and space at his disposal, was invited to test Gerrard from 18
yards following a Plymouth corner routine.
Predictably enough, Forest were soon 2-0 down after Norris had been allowed to
advance unchallenged from midfield in the 21st minute and fire a shot which took
an enormous deflection off Morgan before looping over a helpless Gerrard into
the back of the net.
Referee Andy hall waved away vehement Forest appeals for a handball against
Jason Dodd but the Reds went close to pulling a goal back before the break when
Gareth Taylor headed a Kris Commons shot onto the bar before Micky Evans
threatened late on in the half for Plymouth.
In the second period, Forest were given a scare in the 47th minute when
Aljofree met a right-wing corner from Akos Buzsaky with a mighty header which
thudded into Gerrard's crossbar.
But Forest responded when Paul Evans, who had been introduced as a 33rd-minute
replacement for Kevin James, swept the ball from the right to left channel and
set Taylor in on goal, only for the City Ground striker to see his shot blocked
by David Worrell.
At the other end, Blackstock saw a shot on the turn fizz over from an acute
angle before Gerrard kicked a clearance into team-mate Matthieu Louis-Jean to
present Blackstock with an opportunity from the rebound although the defender
quickly recovered to make a saving tackle.
But with 58 minutes gone Forest slipped further behind as Norris worked his
way into the penalty box from the Plymouth left and crossed for Blackstock to
apply a close-range finish.
Gerrard came to the hosts' rescue when saving a six-yard effort from Argyle
substitute Nick Chadwick before Commons weaved past three Plymouth defenders
only to see his effort denied by goalkeeper Luke McCormick.
Teams:
Nottm Forest Gerrard, Louis-Jean, Morgan,
Melville (Thompson 71), Doig, Perch, James (Evans 34), Gardner,
Commons, Taylor, Dobie (Harris 65).
Subs Not Used: Doyle, Powell.
Booked: Morgan.
Plymouth McCormick, Worrell, Coughlan, Aljofree, Dodd, Norris,
Wotton, Buzsaky (Lasley 87), Taylor (Capaldi 78),
Evans (Chadwick 66), Blackstock.
Subs Not Used: Doumbe, Gilbert.
Booked: Lasley.
Goals: Blackstock 3, Norris 23, Blackstock 59.
Att: 28,887
Ref: A Hall (W Midlands).
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