TEN-MAN FOREST PLAY 1-1 DRAW WITH BRENTFORD

Ten-man Nottingham Forest fought back from a goal down to draw with Brentford as Nicolas Dominguez’s first goal earned the hosts a point.

After a tame first half, the game sparked into life early in the second when Moussa Niakhate was sent off having stood on the heel of Yoane Wissa.

From the resulting free-kick, Brentford captain Christian Norgaard put his side ahead as he powered in a header from Mathias Jensen’s delivery for his first goal of the season.

But the lead only lasted seven minutes before Argentina international Dominguez, who joined Forest in September from Bologna, produced an excellent diving header, with the ball looping over visiting goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

Victory would have moved either side into 10th place, but neither could find a second goal on a rainy day in Nottingham.

Brentford substitute Neal Maupay, on loan from Everton, had a chance to claim a winner, but failed to connect cleanly when inside the penalty area.

The draw meant the Bees have now gone five Premier League games without a win since a 3-0 success at Fulham in the second match of the season.

Forest battle hard to earn a point

Thirteen minutes were added at the end of the match, with both sides having chances to snatch a dramatic winner in a thrilling finish.

Bryan Mbeumo headed over for Brentford and Chris Wood nodded wide for Forest, before the visitors had a shot cleared off the line. At the other end Willy Boly glanced a header wide and Maupay had another shot blocked for the Bees.

But Forest boss Steve Cooper, whose side moved up one place to 11th, will be delighted with the commitment from his side, who had to play with a player fewer for more than 40 minutes.

The desire from the hosts was shown near the end when Morgan Gibbs-White produced a goal-saving sliding challenge on Mbeumo, with the Forest midfielder, the coaching staff and fans celebrating as if they had snatched a winning goal.

The entertaining finale was very much in contrast to the first half, where neither side had a shot on target until the third minute of added time.

That was when Vitaly Janelt’s deflected strike was parried by home keeper Matt Turner, before Ibrahim Sangare made a superb block to deny Norgaard as he looked to convert the rebound.

Turner nearly gifted Brentford a goal at the start of the second half with a heavy touch from a backpass.

Wissa managed to slide in on the goalkeeper and steer the ball goalwards only for Boly, excellent throughout, to get back in time to clear off the line.

Kesh Awefada

Kesh Awefada

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