Nottingham Forest 1, Sunderland 2
Aug 28 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal
After extra time
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ROY Keane insists the spirit of Brian Clough still hangs over Nottingham Forest and the man in the green jumper almost came back to haunt his former player last night as Sunderland survived an almighty scare in the Carling Cup.
Given Cloughie’s strong links with both these clubs, as a prolific striker with Sunderland and as a legendary manager at the City Ground, Forest decided to use this cup tie as a means to remember the great man.
And remember him Forest did as new generation of players delivered a performance Old Big ‘Ead himself would have been proud, out-playing their more illustrious opponents in the second half , with Robert Earnshaw’s excellent free-kick looking as though it would be enough to knock Sunderland out of the competition.
Sunderland, though, proved their resilience in avoiding relegation last season and they needed plenty of it again last night as they finally forced an equaliser with just four minutes remaining.
In truth, the Wearsiders looked as though their chance had gone, but when Liam Miller crashed a shot through a crowd of bodies, Forest goalkeeper Paul Smith could only parry it back into the melee in front of him.
The ball eventually broke to El-Hadji Diouf and his first-time volley was shinned in at the far post by full-back Phil Bardsley for his first goal in senior football.
That appeared to knock the stuffing out of the home side and when Grant Leadbitter skipped round Ian Breckin in the third minute of extra time to force another sharp save from Smith, David Healy was in the perfect place to smash in the rebound. It was the third time the Northern Ireland international has scored on his debut in his career, but neither strike for Preston or Fulham have been more important than this one.
There was time for one more fright as Forest defender Luke Chambers headed against the crossbar in the second period of added time, but Sunderland just about held on.
It was still a poor day for the Black Cats who, having won at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend and having been so active in the transfer market this summer with nine new signings, are expected to mount a serious challenge in the Carling Cup this season.
Yet, just as when they lost 3-0 to League One’s Luton Town 12 months ago, Sunderland were exposed at times by a team from a lower league and there will be a few bruised egos at training today.
It always seemed unlikely Keane would treat this game nonchalantly. Not only does the Carling Cup represent Sunderland’s best chance of silverware this season, Keane has never won a cup game as a manager in three attempts.
The Irishman may not look the type to dwell on such statistical vagaries, but he will have been well aware of that fact and had hinted as much earlier this week when he insisted had ‘learnt a lesson at Luton’ last season when he made a host of changes.
As a result, Sunderland sent out the strongest side available to them, with Djibril Cisse starting for the first time since his move from Marseille, while Pascal Chimbonda was recalled at right-back after being dropped for poor time-keeping against Tottenham.
Nevertheless, the Black Cats did not start well and, if anything, it was their Championship opposition who did most of the early pressing.
Although Cisse and Daryl Murphy both sent shots zipping over the crossbar, the best chances of the early exchanges fell to Forest. Firstly, Nyron Nosworthy had to stand up well to Guy Moussi in the area, before Matt Thornhill failed to keep a header down after an excellent cross by Julian Bennett.
Another timely intervention by Nosworthy blocked Earnshaw’s strike after a clever move down the right had got Nottingham in behind the Sunderland defence.
Keane was far from happy with the sluggish start and made his first foray into the technical area to fire a verbal rocket at his players and they responded almost immediately. Cisse ran on to Murphy’s pass and caught a left-foot shot perfectly on the edge of the area, only for Smith to get a feint touch to divert the ball on to the post.
The Forest goalkeeper also managed to get a hand to a Murphy header and Dean Whitehead should have done far better than shoot straight at him after Miller – on for the limping Steed Malbranque – had spotted his run.
As the teams returned to the dressing room, Sunderland looked like the only side who were going to win the game, but Forest were a different proposition after a team-talk from manager Colin Calderwood. Time and again, Sunderland’s back four were stretched as the home side decided to throw men forward.
And things were clearly not going well in Sunderland’s own engine room, with Keane responding to a lazy pass from captain Whitehead by immediately replacing him with Leadbitter. Within minutes, however, Forest had taken the lead. Earnshaw’s quick feet drew a clumsy challenge from Nosworthy on the edge of the area and the Wales international got to his feet, placed the ball purposefully and stroked it superbly over the wall and into Craig Gordon’s top left-hand corner.
Sunderland might have equalised before Bardsley’s late intervention – but Reid, who was relentlessly barracked by the home fans still angered by the manner in which he left the club to join Spurs – looked as though he had timed his run perfectly as he arrived at the far post to meet Diouf’s cross. But he could only find the side netting from close range.
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