Nottingham Forest began their pre-season campaign with a victory as they beat Chesterfield 3-0, with all three goals coming in an entertaining second half. George Edwards was at the game
After a two-month hiatus, it was finally time for a return to the terraces — one that made pleasant viewing for the 4,000 or so travelling Reds, treated to some free-flowing and fast-paced football as they convincingly toppled the Spireites.
Chris Wood opened the scoring midway into the second half, with Josh Bowler adding a second minutes later and Ibrahim Sangaré capping off the result in the closing stages.
Nuno Espírito Santo named a starting side mixed with new signings, reliables from last season and a couple that had seemingly been banished. Debuts were handed to goalkeeper Carlos Miguel and midfielder Elliot Anderson, while Emmanuel Dennis and Joe Worrall started; however, rather notably, the captaincy went to Ryan Yates rather than the defender.
Young defender Zach Abbott also started which signified a back three, with the youngster playing to the left of Worrall and Willy Boly. The formation allowed Anderson to drift between midfield and attack, with Dennis and Anthony Elanga ahead of him.
Plenty of mistimed tackles flew in during the opening exchanges, but once the game settled down, Forest’s control of it soon became pretty clear. As the Premier League side, they were always likely to dictate possession, with Nico Dominguez looking agile and nimble in the middle of the park.
Playing as a wing-back, Neco Williams had plenty of space down the right and created Forest’s first chance after seven minutes, after Anderson sent him running down the wing. The Welshman’s cut-back found Dennis in the middle, who took a touch before trying to pick out the top corner, a neat save from Ryan Boot in the Chesterfield goal.
Boot had to remain switched on four minutes later as Elanga found space in the left of the box following a one-two with Dominguez, a low save to tip the ball around the bottom-right corner. The pair then switched roles as Forest won the ball high up the pitch, Dominguez exchanging passes with Elanga before shooting from the edge of the box, his effort crashing off the post.
You can’t read too much into friendlies — particularly this early on and against League Two opposition — but the Reds all seemed to look pretty sharp, particularly given they hadn’t yet had a full week of training.
Debutant Miguel was largely untested throughout; the only real save to make was low to his left to deny veteran striker Paddy Madden at his near post, following a slight deflection off Boly.
The Reds did get the ball into the net with about 30 minutes played as Dennis nodded home following a corner, but play was pulled back for a foul on the goalkeeper, despite many continuing and unaware celebrations in the stands.
Set-piece delivery was a notable plus with Elanga on duty, the winger delivering some delightful and pinpoint balls in; could the 22-year-old be the answer to Forest’s set-piece woes?
Yates and Elanga both saw efforts saved before the break, as the first half ended in a stalemate. The Reds showed good variation in attack and looked rather unfazed defensively, despite a few shaky moments from Worrall.
The outfield 10 would be replaced at half-time, with Miguel remaining between the sticks. Ola Aina, Murillo, Andrew Omobamidele and new signing Eric da Silva Moreira now made up a back four, with Ibrahim Sangaré sitting ahead of them. Just ahead of him was Danilo, with a three of Josh Bowler, Morgan Gibbs White and Callum Hudson-Odoi behind Chris Wood.
It was instantly clear that Gibbs-White was on the pitch, with more zip and fluency to the Forest midfield. He linked up well with Hudson-Odoi early on as Forest went in search of the opening goal.
They were getting closer and closer before finally taking the lead with 67 played, Murillo starting the move from defence. His splitting ball found Hudson-Odoi, who nicely threaded forward towards the onrushing Wood. Forest had been caught off-side throughout the half but Wood showed a neat turn of pace to get to the ball first, round the goalie and slot into an empty net.
Bowler had looked sharp from the off, having a shot blocked and one saved already, before getting on the scoresheet seven minutes after Wood. Aina was found well forward and crossed from the left, as Chesterfield’s spurned clearance landed at the left boot of Bowler, with a confident dispatch into the bottom-left corner to follow.
A shining light from the second half was Sangaré, who operated as a lone number six for most of the game. He was quick to offload, receive and manoeuvre the ball in tight areas and linked play well, and was able to round his positive display off with a goal as the clock struck ninety.
Hudson-Odoi swung the ball in from the left towards an unmarked and well-forward Sangaré, with the Ivorian able to nod home at the far post, following a move that he and second-half substitute Lewis O’Brien had started down the right.
It’s always good to have that winning feeling, whether it’s a pre-season friendly or a European Championship final. As the Reds now gear up for their seemingly annual trip to Spain, let’s hope Forest won’t be the only positive result this weekend…
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