Stoke City 1-1 Nottingham Forest: Visitors hit back to level in Potteries fog
- Published
Fog had descended over the Bet 365 Stadium by the time the luckless James Chester (sat down) unwittingly headed in Forest's equaliser
Stoke City and Nottingham Forest both drew for the second game running on a night of two freak goals in the Potteries fog.
Conditions were cold but clear at the Bet 365 Stadium when Stoke took the lead with a comical opening goal after Jordan Thompson's inswinging left-foot corner from the right was somehow left on the line by Lewis Grabban.
The Forest striker, covering the near post, got his bearings all wrong as he dipped his head thinking that keeper Brice Samba would claim it, only to look horrified when the ball ended up in the back of the net.
But, in worsening conditions as the mist descended badly after the break, Forest's leveller was to prove equally bizarre.
Anthony Knockaert swung over a dangerous left-wing cross and Stoke skipper James Chester, hassled from behind by Joe Worrall, succeeded only in diverting a powerful header past his own keeper.
It flew past the helpless Josef Bursik's top-right corner - the first goal Michael O'Neill's parsimonious Potters had leaked in five games.
It was also only the fifth away goal Forest have netted this season - and two of them have been own goals.
Forest had the better of the game as the fog got thicker, not helped, as Stoke boss Michael O'Neill pointed out, by their grey away shirts not showing up too well in this Potteries peasouper.
But the visitors proved wasteful, no more so than when young Bursik came out to deny Cafu, who had pounced on a far from well sighted John Mikel Obi's awful 40-yard back pass.
On a night when fit-again Wales international midfielder Joe Allen made his first start in nine months after an Achilles injury, Stoke, who have now won just once in seven games, stay seventh.
Forest, who have won one in their last 11, are now just three points above the relegation places - but below local rivals Derby, who have moved above them on goal difference.
Jordan Thompson was all smiles after his inswinging corner was allowed to sneak in at the near post for the opening goal
Potters boss Michael O'Neill told BBC Radio Stoke:
"We looked good in the first half but then we lost the initiative as, in the second half, it turned into a bit of a farce and we presented them with opportunities.
"The colour of the Forest players' strips made it very difficult to see - but the mistakes were due to the conditions.
"Sam Vokes did well but we were without Steven Fletcher as well as Tyrese Campbell, so we're down to one recognised striker. And we won't be able to replace Tyrese in this window as it will cost too much money - and loan players of that calibre are few and far between."
Forest boss Chris Hughton:
"The last 25 minutes, anything on the far side we couldn't see. If it had been earlier in the game, it might have been in some doubt. But it didn't get worse, which was probably why the game was allowed to continue.
"We showed a reaction from conceding a poor goal at a difficult place to get a result. That is all that you ask for, for the players to up their game.
"Once we got the equaliser, it was about whether we could get a winner. Cafu's chance is the best chance of the game, but that is the story of part of our season. We haven't been able to get the goals to win games."