Nottingham Forest have been booed off as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Braga after an unbelievable 54-second spell during which Morgan Gibbs-White had a penalty saved and Ryan Yates scored an personal objective.
The end result means Nottingham Forest’s probabilities of a top-eight Europa League end have been left to likelihood forward of their closing fixture in opposition to Ferencvaros, with Sean Dyche’s aspect three factors off the highest eight. Elliot Anderson will miss that must-win sport after incomes a late pink card for dissent in Portugal.
Braga needed to do little or no to win the sport, not even needing a single shot heading in the right direction to recover from the road, whereas Forest turned solely the second Europa League aspect to overlook a penalty, rating an personal objective and have a participant despatched off in the identical sport.
When James McAtee was hauled to the bottom within the space by Gabri Martinez, Forest had the chance to assist everybody neglect a tepid first half that solely had one shot heading in the right direction.
Paradoxically, that one shot got here from Gibbs-White, who watched Lukas Hornicek save his free kick. The Braga ‘keeper would do the identical within the second half, guessing proper to save lots of a poor penalty.
In a flash, Braga swept up the opposite finish with Ricardo Horta combining with Fran Navarro. Horta crossed into the realm and Yates, who could not discover his footing, dragged the ball previous his personal objective line.
With Forest huffing and puffing, Dyche’s determination to make seven adjustments – simply as he did in his aspect’s FA Cup defeat at Wrexham – would come beneath query as soon as extra. Nevertheless, Forest’s lack of No 9 was telling with Igor Jesus and Chris Wooden injured, whereas Taiwo Awoniyi is just not registered for the competitors.
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Neco Williams would be part of Anderson in a triple change that did assist elevate Forest however their enchancment wasn’t ample.
Whereas there was one other late shout for a penalty with Dan Ndoye proven a yellow card after feeling he had been introduced down by Joao Moutinho within the space, VAR did not rule in Forest’s favour, denying Gibbs-White a chance at redemption till subsequent week’s crunch conflict.
Yates: I’ve to carry my palms up
Nottingham Forest captain Ryan Yates chatting with TNT Sport:
“Very disappointing. I feel we controlled most of the game. Obviously, it’s a very good team [we’re playing] away from home.
“I believed we stifled them. First off, they did not have any possibilities.
“We have an opportunity to make the breakthrough. We don’t. And then, unfortunately, I make a mistake on the other end and could never get a foothold in the game after that.
“That is soccer. I believe once you get a chance, you do not take it, you get punished. I’ve to carry my palms up, and I ought to have performed higher. We have created a number of extra good possibilities, however sadly, it wasn’t our night time.”
Dyche: One minute of madness cost us
Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche speaking to TNT Sport:
“One minute of insanity in a sport that we have by no means seemed in hassle. We have by no means actually dominated as a lot as we hoped.
“We didn’t open them up as many times as we hoped. Obviously, we haven’t got a recognised centre-forward, which can make it tricky. We missed a penalty, but that can happen.
“However then the response is, we’re not ok for the subsequent minute or so. We lose a sport to what’s a extremely poor objective.
“We got sucked into playing a bit slow. I mean, the pitch was a slow pitch. Obviously, it’s no one’s fault with the weather.
“We received sucked into enjoying gradual. It did not actually have an effect on the backline as many instances as we would hoped. However then, after all, we get the penalty. It is one-end video games the place you assume we seal that.
“We’re pretty much not dominating the game. We had a good feel of the game. We’re keeping them to minimal chances at that point, not too many ourselves.
“And we get one other penalty shout. It is a possibly. I’ve seen them given. It goes in opposition to us, and it is irritating from there on in, to be trustworthy.”
