- Forest secure dramatic late win in the capital
- Lewis Grabban's stoppage-time goal earns Reds all three points
Head Coach Steve Cooper made one change from the cup victory over Arsenal last weekend with captain Lewis Grabban returning to the starting XI at the expense of Philip Zinckernagel who dropped to the bench.
The match kicked off 10 minutes late due to a medical incident before kick-off and Millwall broke quickly from the kick-off but Scott Malone’s cross flashed across goal to safety.
In the third minute, Benik Afobe slipped Joe Worrall and sped towards goal and Brice Samba was forced to make his first save of the match at his near post to concede a corner. Moments later, Malone shot wide as Millwall started the game on the front foot.
Forest’s first threat came after 10 minutes when Keinan Davis won the ball and fed Grabban, who started the match playing just behind Davis and Brennan Johnson. The Reds' captain broke and found Johnson on the right but his cut back was cleared.
Millwall then nearly took the lead when Tom Bradshaw’s low cross from the right was bundled away at the far post by Worrall with former Derby man Malone looking to pounce. Sheyi Ojo then shot straight at Samba after some head tennis in The Reds' box.
Forest had needed to weather a storm by the hosts in the first quarter of the match and good work by Davis on the left resulted in The Reds' first effort of the match as the Villa loanee shot straight at Bartosz Bialkowski in the Millwall goal.
Ojo’s deep cross from the left caused problems as Danny McNamara ghosted in at the far post but The Reds cleared. Gary Rowett was then forced into his first change of the afternoon as Mason Bennett replaced the injured Tom Bradshaw.
Forest, playing in their luminous third kit, were still needing to defend stoutly but, three minutes before the break, they created the clearest chance of the half.
Good play by Davis and then Grabban resulted in Ryan Yates firing straight at Bialkowski from near the penalty spot. Johnson then also fired a shot at the Millwall 'keeper from the edge of the box.
Yates' cross was headed off the line by McNamara after a deflection and Davis' cross flashed across the face of goal as The Reds finished the half on the attack.
Into injury time, Djed Spence was the first player booked by referee Peter Bankes for fouling Bennett.
HALF-TIME: Millwall 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Millwall made their second change at the break as Ben Thompson replaced former Liverpool man Sheyi Ojo who had picked up a knock in the first half.
Alan Tate was booked by referee Bankes before Keinan Davis burst from deep to force the first Reds corner of the match.
There was more good attacking play by Davis and then crosses from Jack Colback and Brennan Johnson as Forest started the second half brightly attacking the away end housing their 2,000 supporters.
Mason Bennett, one of three former Derby players in the Millwall side, intercepted a Scott McKenna pass and Steve Cook was forced to clear for a corner. From Scott Malone’s flag kick, Murray Wallace hooked over from six yards via a Forest deflection.
A clash of heads between Scott McKenna and Bennett resulted in a short stoppage, with Danny McNamara then booked for dissent.
Samba was then forced to collect a dangerous low cross by Thompson before excellent play by Lewis Grabban created himself a shooting opportunity which was blocked. Cook then tried a long-range effort which went harmlessly wide.
Johnson was then released down the right from Joe Worrall’s long ball but the Welshman overhit his cross when in a dangerous position. Davis then robbed Shaun Hutchinson but his cutback in the box was intercepted.
Forest were now posing the hosts more problems and, midway through the half, Johnson forced another corner which McKenna headed over.
McNamara then forced a corner at the other end as the game remained finely poised. Bennett then escaped McKenna and from his cut back Thompson’s shot was cleared by Worrall in the six yard box.
Another good move by Forest then resulted in a dangerous cross from Yates but Grabban and Johnson were crowded out.
Yates then released Johnson down the right and his cross was expertly back-flicked by Grabban but straight at Bartosz Bialkowski.
More good work by Grabban and then Yates released Davis down the left but he shot into the side netting and was then replaced by Philip Zinckernagel after another promising performance.
Garner broke up play in midfield and released Johnson in the inside right channel but his shot was blocked for another Forest corner. The Manchester United loanee did the same moments later and this time it was his shot which was blocked for a corner
Excellent play by Spence created another shooting opportunity for Johnson which was blocked and Garner had another shot deflected for a corner as The Reds pressed.
From the corner Forest created successive openings for Cook, Yates and Garner again but somehow The Lions held firm, with Bialkowski’s excellent save from Yates’ header crucial.
The Reds were peppering the Millwall goal with shots but Brice Samba was forced into his first save of the second period from Benik Afobe’s low shot.
Scott McKenna was booked for fouling McManara as Millwall looked to respond to the extended spell of Forest pressure and, from Scott Malone’s free kick, Samba brilliantly saved as the ball travelled across the box.
Spence then ran virtually the length of the pitch but his cross was cut out before another fine Forest move resulted in Johnson’s low cross somehow evading Grabban at the far post. Following a second corner in succession, Yates then spectacularly hooked the ball just over from in the six yard box.
However, Millwall then nearly took the lead on the counter as Samba again saved brilliantly, this time from Afobe after Bennett’s cross.
With three minutes added on at the end of the second half, The Reds found a dramatic late winner. Philip Zinckernagel received the ball inside the area and dinked Bialkowski, with the loose ball dropping to Lewis Grabban who bundled in from inside the six yard box, sparking pandemonium in the away end.
The referee blew the full-time whistle shortly after to mark the end of an entertaining contest in the capital, as The Reds claimed a win in their first league game of 2022.
FULL-TIME: Millwall 0-1 Forest
MATCH STATISTICS
Millwall (3-4-1-2): Bartosz Bialkowski; Jake Cooper, Shaun Hutchinson, Murray Wallace; Danny McNamara, George Evans, Billy Mitchell, Scott Malone; Sheyi Ojo (Ben Thompson 46'); Tom Bradshaw (Mason Bennett 27'), Benik Afobe
Substitutes not used: George Long, Maikel Kieftenbeld, Matt Smith, Connor Mahoney, Tyler Burey
Bookings: Danny McNamara 57'
Forest (3-4-1-2): Brice Samba; Joe Worrall, Steve Cook, Scott McKenna; Djed Spence, Ryan Yates, James Garner, Jack Colback; Lewis Grabban; Brennan Johnson, Keinan Davis (Philip Zinckernagel 73')
Substitutes not used: Ethan Horvath, Gaëtan Bong, Tobias Figueiredo, Cafú, Xande Silva, Lyle Taylor
Goal: Lewis Grabban 90+2'
Bookings: Djed Spence 45', Scott McKenna 85'
Referee: Peter Bankes
Attendance: 13,297 including 1,959 Forest supporters
Possession: 50%-50%
Shots: 12-24
Shots on target: 4-7
Corners: 7-7