Nottingham Forest 2-2 Stoke City: Ryan Yates salvages point for hosts

Forest celebrateImage source, PA Media
Image caption,

Brennan Johnson (right) put Forest ahead after a goalless first half

Substitute Ryan Yates snatched an injury-time equaliser to salvage a point for 10-man Nottingham Forest against Stoke.

The Potters looked set for victory after home keeper Brice Samba was sent off, conceding a late penalty that Lewis Baker converted to make it 2-1.

But Yates nodded home in the third minute of added time to ensure the points were shared.

Forest's Brennan Johnson had opened the scoring early in the second half before Josh Maja levelled for Stoke, who also hit the woodwork twice.

After Samba's red card, the hosts were forced to put defender Joe Worrall in goal for the final 13 minutes, with all their substitutions already used.

Stoke, undefeated in their three previous visits to the City Ground, began brightly and Ben Wilmot gave the home side an early scare when his hopeful attempt thudded against the crossbar.

However, Forest gradually eased their way into the game and wing-back Djed Spence cut inside to exchange passes with Philip Zinckernagel before forcing a save from Josef Bursik.

Johnson also went close to breaking the deadlock before half-time, racing on to Samba's long clearance and outpacing his marker, but his attempted lob failed to clear Bursik.

Forest survived another close call when Baker's free-kick rattled the post early in the second half - and they capitalised by snatching the lead as Max Lowe delivered an inviting cross for Johnson to steer home from close range.

Maja, on loan to the Potters from Bordeaux, equalised 10 minutes later, stabbing home on the line after Nick Powell had flicked on Baker's corner.

The contest seemed to have tilted in Stoke's favour when Samba was dismissed for lashing out at Steven Fletcher.

Baker fired the spot-kick past stand-in keeper Worrall - only for Yates to rescue his side in injury time, gobbling up the rebound after Joe Garner's free-kick had been tipped onto the bar.

Despite that, Forest drop out of the play-off places to seventh, while Stoke also fall to 13th.

Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper:

"I'm never going to say a point is a good one at home, but I think today we have to accept it.

"We were trying to win the game. Sometimes you do that at the risk of getting beaten. If we want to achieve we need to have that mentality."

"We had good moments in the first half and we got the breakthrough, but to concede from a set-piece is always disappointing.

"Brice has made a huge error, but we've managed to scramble something by having the right mentality and showing bravery."

Stoke manager Michael O'Neill told BBC Radio Stoke:

"I thought we were the better team from start to finish. To be behind was very harsh on us, we'd hit the woodwork and had other opportunities.

"We've come here to arguably the form team in the league and had control of the game because we had a lot of the ball. But when we're dominant we've got to capitalise better.

"At 1-1 and 11 v 11, there was only one team looked like winning the game - unfortunately we didn't do that.

"Where we've got to improve, we gave the ball away in their half at times a little bit cheaply. We've got to have more patience, maybe play more passes."

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