Nottingham Forest player ratings as Reds knocked out of trophy on penalties
by Sarah Clapson · NottinghamshireLiveNottingham Forest’s Bristol Street Motors Trophy campaign came to an end as they lost to Wigan Athletic in a penalty shootout after it had finished 0-0 after 90 minutes in the north west.
The Reds went into the tie fresh from back-to-back victories in the league and cup, and having scored a bagful of goals in both games. In their final group stage match of the EFL Trophy, it was a case of winner-takes-all between the two sides as they knew whoever came out on top would progress to the knockout stage of the competition.
Adam Berry almost gave the visitors the advantage with less than 10 minutes gone. His powerful shot stung the fingers of Latics goalkeeper Tom Watson as he tipped it over.
Clearcut chances were at a premium at both ends of the pitch in the first half, though. The only real opportunity for the hosts came from a slip by Jack Thompson which allowed Joe Hugill to race clean through. The Wigan man had the beating of Aaron Bott but Fin Back raced to the rescue for Forest to deal with the danger.
In what was proving to be a tight affair, there was little sign of the deadlock being broken after the break. Jack Perkins tried his luck after some nice play by the Reds but penalties were looming, even though the hosts applied some late pressure.
The Reds lost the shootout 3-0 as Jack Nadin, James Sinclair and Kyle McAdam could not score from the spot. Here’s how Reds reporter Sarah Clapson rated the Forest players at the Brick Community Stadium.
Aaron Bott: Wasn’t really tested in the 90 minutes as Wigan failed to make their possession count. Confident and decisive whenever he needed to be, though. Rating: 7/10
Fin Back: Came to his team’s rescue in the first half when he showed terrific awareness and chipped in with a last-ditch clearance to thwart Hugill. Steady throughout. Seems like he could benefit from another loan. Rating: 8/10
Jack Thompson: Other than the early slip, the Reds as a defensive unit stood their ground against decent opposition. Excellent second-half tackle to thwart a Wigan attack epitomised his evening’s work. Rating: 8/10
Ben Hammond: An all-round solid performance from the Forest back line, even when the Latics really looked to apply the pressure late on. Gave very little away. Rating: 8/10
James Sinclair: Acquitted himself well in a tight affair. Composed and good with the ball, even though the Reds didn’t see too much of it. Shouldn’t be downhearted by his penalty being saved. Rating: 7.5/10
Ben Perry: The skipper led by example in terms of work-rate and commitment. Held his own against the League One Latics in what was a fairly tight contest. Rating: 7.5/10
Jack Perkins: Weighed in with some strong tackles and showed some neat touches. Played his part in keeping the hosts at arm’s length for much of the evening. Rating: 8/10
Kyle McAdam: Will benefit from the experience as he tried to keep tabs on the lively Dion Rankine down Wigan’s right flank. A good test and came through it well. Unlucky with the penalty. Rating: 8/10
Adam Berry: Seemed like he was keen to get the Reds on the front foot early on with a superb effort. Needed a strong save from the keeper to tip it away. Made way soon after the restart as Warren Joyce shuffled his pack. Rating: 8/10
Jack Nadin: A lively performance from the youngster. Always keen to get involved and involved in some nice moves from the Reds. Unlucky to see his penalty saved. Rating: 8/10
Joe Gardner: Tough going for the most part as Wigan were stubborn opponents and saw most of the ball. Put in the work but didn’t get a great deal of joy at the top end of the pitch. Rating: 7/10
Subs
Sam Collins (for Berry, 48mins): Did well in the second half as Forest gave a positive account of themselves in a tough test. Got through a lot of work. Rating: 6/10
Archie Whitehall (for Perry, 74mins): Didn’t get too long to really make an impact. A good experience, though. Rating: 6/10
Subs not used: Griffiths, Cahill, Hanks, Brown, Blake.