Nottingham Forest 1-4 Stoke: Forest lose play-off place to Swansea
- Published
Nottingham Forest dropped from fifth to seventh in the table
Nottingham Forest's season imploded against Stoke City with a dramatic defeat that cost them a place in the Championship play-offs.
A five-game winless run heading into the last round of fixtures left Forest needing at least a draw against the Potters to guarantee they finished in the top six.
That miserable run was extended to six games in nightmare fashion against Stoke, with Swansea's 4-1 win against 10-man Reading more than enough for the Welsh club to usurp Sabri Lamouchi's side in the play-off places on goal difference.
In a turbulent start for Forest, Adam Davies made a fine double save to keep the hosts out early on and Jordan Thompson foiled Lewis Grabban with a goal-line clearance before Danny Batth headed home the opening goal for Stoke.
Tobias Figueiredo equalised with a header from a Joe Lolley corner just after the hour, but Forest's play-off aspirations were left in tatters by two goals in five minutes from James McClean and Lee Gregory.
An injury-time own goal from Nuno da Costa completed one of the most staggering nights in Forest's recent history.
A six-goal swing
That final goal was brought about by desperation as Forest flooded forward in the final moments in search of a goal that would lift them back into the top six after Wayne Routledge's injury-time fourth for Swansea ended the Reds' hopes of challenging for promotion to the Premier League.
A wretched end to the campaign, which saw the Reds collect just three points from a possible 18 since 4 July, saw Lamouchi's side crash out of the play-offs after occupying a space in the top six for the last 207 days.
Stoke, a side that battle to avoid relegation for much of the season, had secured their Championship status five days earlier with a victory against Brentford that ultimately cost the west London club automatic promotion.
Wasteful Forest pay
The return of fit-again defender Matty Cash and midfielder Lolley were among four changes made by the hosts following Sunday's dramatic late defeat by Barnsley.
Cash was quick to showcase why AC Milan made him a transfer target in January, urging Forest forward in the opening minutes and blazing an early effort just over in the fourth minute.
Soon after, Stoke goalkeeper Davies kept things goalless, first denying Sammy Ameobi after he swivelled in the box to shoot from 10 yards, before denying Ryan Yates from point-blank range after the midfielder latched onto the rebound.
And when Davies was beaten soon after, Thompson was in support on the goal-line to block a low shot from Grabban.
Forest's Joe Lolley is consoled by James McClean at full-time
Those misses proved costly, as centre-back Batth met a Thompson cross at the far post to nod the Potters ahead.
And still, Forest continued to create the better chances and should have been level just after the half-hour mark when Lolley ran through clear on goal.
But rather than try slide the ball past the onrushing Davies, the midfielder attempted to find Grabban with a pass in the box, allowing Bruno Martins Indi to backtrack and clear.
Grabban had an effort deflected onto the roof of the net and Yates had a shot cleared off the line in a tense start to the second-half, but Figueiredo's eventually got the deserved equaliser they desperately needed.
After that, however, the Reds' season capitulated as McClean tapped home to put Stoke back in front before Gregory slid in at the far post to make it 3-1.
News of Swansea's victory had filtered back to the City Ground with injury-time still to play, but Forest's efforts to pull a goal back only added to the truly calamitous end to their campaign as Da Costa bundled the ball into his own net as Stoke broke away on a counter attack.
Manager reaction
Sabri Lamouchi told BBC Radio Nottingham: "It's difficult to react. I'm here just because it's obligatory to be here. I don't have words. Disaster.
"It is a disaster to lose everything in the last game at home, of course.
"But to believe all the season about the play-offs and to lose and put away the play-offs like that, it's just our fault. I don't have more words. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry to the fans, sorry for the last few games.
"One point was enough tonight, it was enough a few days ago and was enough last week and we were so close, but it was a disaster."
Stoke City boss Michael O'Neill told BBC Radio Stoke: "People have always known there is quality in the squad. What we have to do is build the right atmosphere for that quality to flourish. We have to start well next season.
"We haven't started well in either season in the Championship, so that we are playing on the front foot.
"This was the first game we have had since I've come in where we can play in somewhat of a more relaxed fashion. That was the most pleasing aspect of it because we played with the same intensity as if we needed the three points to save ourselves.
"That was great because the application and attitude of the players is where we want it to be. We have to take that forward and start the season well."