Report
Forest had a real end of season look about them at Wivenhoe and gave what can only be described as a real lack lustre display against a team that has let in over 100 goals this season. For once manager Hakan Hayrettin could call on almost a full squad so, there were no excuses.
Forest started the better and could have gone ahead after two minutes when Liam Baptiste rose to an in swinging free kick from the left to head inches wide. From that moment to Wivenhoe’s first goal on 18 minutes, Forest had the upper hand and got through the home defence on a number of occasions. Then came the goal that was to change the whole complexion of the game.
Wivenhoe attacked down the left and found the Forest defence all at sea. Michael Brothers receieved the incoming pass in acres of space about thirty yards out and his volley gave Gavin King no chance. Wivenhoe seemed just as stunned by the goal as were the Forest players.
The Wivenhoe lead did not last for long. Forest pushed forward with Dewayne Clarke beating his man at will. On 23 minutes he collected a ball from defence and laid it back in the path of the supporting Warren Ryan, he slammed the ball into the back of the net in a carbon copy of the Wivenhoe goal.
The half seemed to be verging towards a stalemate until a few minutes from the end when Wivenhoe’s Nick Haydon scored straight from a free kick with Forest not reacting quickly enough. At the half time whistle Forest had time to rue the breaks they had made without adding the final touch. They should have been in front but instead were a goal behind.
The second half was a different story. It was not that Wivenhoe were good, more that Forest were bad. Add to that an injury to Stuart Elliott which meant a trip to hospital and the day could not have been worse.
Dave Field came on into the centre of midfield and Warren Ryan went out to the right side where he rarely received the ball and made little impact on the rest of the game.
On 61 minutes Julian Hazel found another gaping hole in Forest’s defence and was able to score easily from close range and Jack Wignall sowed the game up on 63 with a diving header.
That was where the game stopped: Forest found difficulty in threading more than two passes together and rarely threatened one of the worst defences in the League. As for Wivenhoe, they played to their strengths on the day and Forest allowed them to.