Report
Bonnie and Clyde made an unexpected visit to the East End in the guise of Hemel Hempstead and left with three points after scoring the only goal of the game with five minutes left on the clock.
Forest were forced to adopt a 3-5-2 formation due to the absence of Paul Salmon (injured), Simon Tickner (suspended) and Ian Barnes (on holiday). Dewayne Clarke started his first match for some weeks but looked to be carrying his injury right from the kick off. Juho Rantala dropped into the back line and Anton Howell came onto the bench from the youth team.
The opening exchanges of the game did not portend what was to happen in the next 45 minutes. After feeling out their opponents, Forest went on the attack and found a Hemel side looking to play the offside trap whilst desirous of adding their own share of the attacking football.
Soon Hemel found that their off side trap was ineffective against the attacking flair of Dewayne Clarke, Yusuf Cicek, Warren Ryan and John Morgan. They all but tore the visitors’ defence apart. Five times Clarke had one on ones with Hemel’s ‘keeper Martin Peat. Five times Peat either spread himself or otherwise managed to save the home attacker’s shot
After ten minutes Cicek outpaced the defence on the right to swing in a cross which just eluded the onrushing Forest men. A minute later Kim Karlsen latched on to a loose Hemel clearance and blasted narrowly wide through a sea of legs.
Warren Ryan then became the main tormentor, popping up all over the front line and causing the visitor’s defence no end of problems. On one occasion his wing play forsed a corner then, there he was to shot the cross goalwards. Unhappily Martin Peat made an excellent diving save and forced the ball around the upright for another corner.
Moments later Ryan was inches away from scoring from a John Morgan cross and Cicek should have scored after Ryan had put him through on the right and he only had the ‘keeper to beat.
With Hemel pushing up, acres of space were left behind the defence. Forest were quick to realise this and played the ball over the top or through the defence; sadly Dewayne Clarke was not on the best of form and took the ball too close to Peat before shooting. Peat also was able to cut down the angle two occasions forcing Clarke to hit the side netting.
The second half was altogether a more sobering affair. The cold rain came down and Hemel penned the home side in their own half for long periods. The writing was on the wall when Daniel Braithwaite popped up on the left on two or three occasions only to blast the ball wide of the goal.
It seemed that Forest were comfortable in their defending apart from not picking up Braithwaite who spent his time lurking on the left. Hemel rarely had a shot to show for all of their midfield pressure.
Afteran hour Clarke finally had to be taken off as he was limping so badly. Declan Perkins came on and immediately had a couple of chances. On 75 minutes he passed three defenders and should have passed wide to the waiting Ryan but he chose to shoot and the ball was easily saved. On the second occasion he shot narrowly wide.
On 85 minutes Braithwaite’s luck changed and his speculative cross from the left found the top of the Forest net. Forest threw everything they had into attack but could not find the fluency of the first half.
Hemel then shut up shop and took the three points home to keep them in a promotion place.