McGugan nets twice as Forest beat Villa 3-1
LEWIS McGugan came off the bench to fire two spectacular goals and steer Nottingham Forest to an encouraging 3-1 win over Premier League Aston Villa.
This was the Reds first public outing under the tenure of Sean O'Driscoll and Forest fans will have left the City Ground feeling a quiet sense of optimism.
Barry Bannan had fired an almost immediate equaliser in the 72nd minute from a free kick, after McGugan's first – a ferocious, curling strike from the edge of the box – had put Forest ahead two minutes before.
Fellow sub Marcus Tudgay restored Forest's advantage with a fine, individual goal in the 78th minute.
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And McGugan struck again in the 84th minute with a trademark, precision free kick of his own to secure an encouraging pre-season win for the Reds.
Adlene Guedioura provided a few decent touches playing down the right side of midfield, as Forest began with a 4-4-2 formation.
Andy Reid was on the left, with new signing Simon Gillett sitting deep in the centre, just in front of the back four, and Raddy Majewski playing more advanced, behind strikers Dexter Blackstock – who was wearing the captain's armband – and Ishmael Miller.
Right back Brendan Moloney was the only one of the back four who was not a new face, with Greg Halford and Danny Collins partnered in the centre and Dan Harding playing at left back.
Gillett was the first to get a shot away, following good work from Guedioura and Majewski, although he failed to properly connect with his effort, which skimmed harmlessly across the turf and wide from just outside the box.
Forest were temporarily reduced to ten men as Majewski received extensive treatment for a facial injury on the sidelines, but Ron Vlaar failed to make the most of a shooting chance from 25 yards, sending the ball high into the Forest fans behind the goal.
Nathan Delfouneso did find the back of the net in the tenth minute, but he had clearly strayed into an offside position before applying the finish. Villa began to apply some pressure to the Forest goal, however, with Brett Holman coming close with a curling shot that was deflected narrowly wide of the post.
And, when the resulting corner was cleared to the edge of the box, Karim El Ahmadi forced an outstanding save from Lee Camp with a driven effort that the keeper acrobatically pushed around the post.
A slip from Halford allowed Delfouneso to angle into the box from the left, but fortunately Collins was able to charge down his shot.
Forest's midfield was very fluid, mirroring the approach O'Driscoll favoured at Doncaster, with only Gillett really retaining the same position in front of the back four and Guedioura, Reid and Majewski all encouraged to roam around the pitch.
Reid, who looked to have put in significant fitness work over the summer, caused chaos in the Villa defence with a high, looping ball that Brad Guzan did well to claim. But Villa broke quickly and it took an outstanding sliding block from Moloney to thwart Holman as the Villa midfielder let fly with a powerful shot.
Reid instigated a Forest attack with a burst of pace down the left, drawing the Villa defence before feeding Miller on the overlap. The striker, in turn, lifted a cross to the far post where Molonley headed the ball back across goal and Forest wanted a penalty when Majewski felt his subsequent header had been blocked with the aid of a hand.
Bannan hit a crisp, dipping long range shot as half time approached, but Camp always had his body comfortably behind it.
Forest introduced David McGoldrick at half time and the striker almost had an immediate impact, weaving his way through two challenges and into the box, before firing the ball into the centre and seeing the ball deflected, off a Villa defender, and wide of the post.
The visitors also made a change, bringing on Darren Bent for Delfouneso, who had picked up a knock just before the interval.
Reid picked out Moloney with an outstanding cross-field ball and the defender responded with an impressive cross of his own, which Ciaran Clark headed out at the expense of a corner, as McGoldrick dived to make contact at the near post.
Reid then roamed over to the right to combine with Moloney, before bending an in-swinging ball towards the far post where Blackstock narrowly failed to make contact as he slid in unmarked.
A surging burst from McGoldrick saw him charge into space down the right hand channel, before squaring a ball that very nearly reached Reid at the far post, before Vlaar made a timely, stretching interception.
Forest gave trialist Franck Moussa chance to impress in the 66th minute, with the former Leicester man brought on, along with Guy Moussi, in place of Majewski and Gillett.
McGoldrick almost caught out Guzan with a looping header that landed on the top of the bar before bouncing over.
But it was to be Forest who took the lead, following a spell of positive play. Harding powered forward down the left, before feeding the ball to substitute McGugan on the edge of the box. The midfielder took a touch to steady himself, before lashing a powerful, bending shot forcefully into the back of the net, beyond the dive of Guzan.
The advantage was to last only two minutes however, as a spectacular free kick from Bannan hauled the visitors level. Camp was left helpless by the strike, which would have beaten most keepers, as the midfielder sent a shot curling over the wall, away from the Forest number one, and high into the corner of the net.
Tudgay, who had barely been on the pitch for four minutes, hit back with a perfect response for the home side, with a sublime goal of his own. There seemed to be little danger when the striker collected possession on the periphery of the area, but he showed deft footwork to leave two defenders in his wake before slotting a calm finish beyond the advancing keeper to make it 2-1 in the 78th minute.
Forest found themselves with a free kick in a dangerous position when McGugan was brought down from behind 20 yards out – and the midfielder took full advantage.
McGugan regained his feet and took his time about taking the kick, which he slotted low, around the foot of the wall and into the back of the net, with Guzan unsighted and unable to get across goal quick enough.
Only the reactions of Guzan denied McGugan a hat-trick as Moussa's trickery allowed him to lay on a half-chance for the midfielder, who side footed a shot low towards the bottom corner, but saw the keeper pounce on it at full stretch.
Forest: Camp, Moloney (Tudgay 74), Halford, Collins, Harding (Freeman 78), Gillett (Moussi 66), Guedioura (McGugan 60), Reid (Greening 74), Majewski (Moussa 66), Blackstock (Lascelles 74), Miller (McGoldrick 45).
Villa: Guzan, Warnock, Vlaar, Clark, Ireland, El Ahmadi, N'Zogbia, Holman, Delfounso (Bent 45), Bannan, Lowton.
Comments
by OutfoxedYa2
Monday, August 06 2012, 3:24AM
“You forest fans crack me up... You lose to Mansfield and its all 'oh we'll these pre season friendlies are just about gaining fitness and the score doesn't matter' which is absolutely right then you go and beat Villa in another pre season friendly
and all of a sudden you're world beaters!!! Keep it real ***!!! No team plays a friendly with full blooded tackles or proper preparation such as doing homework on the opposition and altering tactics to suit. You just set your team up to how the manager wants to see ya play and try out different players/ tactics etc regardless. All you're doing is piling on the preassure and raising your hopes unnecessarily. The start of the season is the acid test so keep your hats on till then.”
by Garibaldi1952
Sunday, August 05 2012, 10:20PM
“Oh dear Direby fans would rather have a pub team than one which blends local with international; youth with experience....says it all really....no imagination, no ambition, no money and not much hope. Nige gone by November and your tripe pub team relegated for sure:-):-):-)”
by Tommy2Stars
Sunday, August 05 2012, 10:15PM
“Yesterday's game was Aston villa's 6th pre season friendly and their first defeat. Forest have the makings of a competent squad and I expect another signing or two before the deadline. We started slowly but SO'D recognised this and corrected it. I'm am hopeful and modestly optimistic for the new season.”
by forestreddog1
Sunday, August 05 2012, 9:58PM
“Not being one to feed here but will say this...
I agree with paul72 on the constant posts he puts up about us having average players, yes paul these average players took villa off the park, this is an established prem team that put out the likes of darren bent ect only to be leaving the city ground with what i can only describe in the eyes of the villa faithfull as a shock pre season defeat yet many villa fans yesterday was full of prais for the fantastic football forest played with what you would call a average team! you must be very worried yes? if our average team can play like we did yesterday then what when we got a quality team? let me guess, we will lose to yeovil right?
paul72 can you delete your account and come back as paul73? or even paul72 mk2???
Only please have a brain this time yes and please have some sort of football knowledge and not ludicrus stupid empty statements!
Forest 'maybe' team 3
Aston villa first team 1
Good night x”
by Cast0r
Sunday, August 05 2012, 9:43PM
“Surprising to read paul72 talking cr*p again but obviously no surprise to see everybody disagreeing with the tool.”
by Tommy2Stars
Sunday, August 05 2012, 6:56PM
“Hi everyone I've heard that Miller was taken off yesterday because of a hamstring twinge so maybe it wasn't fair for me to judge him too harshly yesterday. It'll be interesting to see which two strikers O'Driscoll will ultimately decide on to lead our attack but my guess is it will be Miller and Blackstock. Tudgay has probably picked up some brownie points for his goal yesterday and I guess SO'D will be trying out and watching closely our other strikers against Notts County and west Brom. I heard a rumour that Millwall had made a bid for Tudgay but not sure if it is any more than a rumour?”
by flipflopper
Sunday, August 05 2012, 6:44PM
“It is my belief as I said previously that possibly 2/3 Middle Eastern players will sign for Forest. It will be down to getting work permits. These 2 or perhaps 3 will probably be Fader Al Mutawa, Hussein Fadel and/or the goalie. When/if the work permits are granted I think they will continue their training to try and habitulise (my word) them to the English Championship style of football. My thoughts on it being these players could of course be wrong, but I am confident that if permits can be arranged then Kuwaiti/Arabian player will become part of our setup.”
by bomdia
Sunday, August 05 2012, 4:35PM
“Paul72-must take issue with you about Forest being'a launch pad for Arab players'and you preferring us to give local and lower league players an opportunity.
Firstly,despite what the hysterical 'Daily Mail' and its tame lap dog the NEP said,we are not acting as some kind of nursery for Kuwaiti footballers who are being given tutelage and jobs at the expense of local and native born players.Our Academy cannot even take on any Kuwaiti scholars,however talented they might be, as they would not be granted permits,as non members of the EU.
As a side issue from that,would you be equally critical if our (or your ! ) owners were Italian, French etc and a lot of players from that country came in at the expense of local talent-as is the case in just about every Premiership Academy! Furthermore,could it not be argued in that situation, that there are just as many opportunities for our local talent to go and take jobs from French,Portuguese,etc etc,but they rarely do it because of English insularity,linguistic illiteracy etc.
What has happened at Forest is that ,not unnaturally,our new owners would like to expand Forest's (and their ) business potential by persuading the rapidly expanding Kuwaiti football fan base to adopt Forest as their club,rather as so many Premiership and some Championship,clubs do.One obvious way is to hope that one or two Kuwaiti players might be good enough to sign for Forest,and sell shirts in their home country as part of the overall expansion of the Forest 'brand' in a country which does at least remember vaguely our dim and distant glory days-not least when we played a testimonial game v Kuwait's national team when we were European Champions to raise money for their most famous national player.
Their recommendation of 7 Kuwaiti internationals (all have to be at that level to make themselves eligible for a work permit ) is sensible,not least because,like most English clubs (your own included I'm sure) we don't have much,if any,scouting network in the Gulf,and our new owners have sufficient direct involvement with their leading club side to be able to recommend possible signings to us -and persuade the players themselves to make the huge step of trying out over here.
What is totally unchallenged is that,firstly,they have stated that these players are on trial subject to our Manager and coaches' own judgement and this has been emphasised by Sean.
The fact that ,apart from a goalie who was merely part of the 21 man warm up prior to the game ,no Kuwaiti figured yesterday,seems to give added strength to my assertion.
I also have it on unimpeachable authority within the club that IF any are offered a contract it will be limited to no more than 2 or 3 ,of whom the most likely, al Mutawa, suffered injury on Thursday,and will be at most a short term contract of no more than a year.Furthermore they would not be at the expense of other squad members,but in addition to those from our youth ranks,those already in the squad and any players brought in from elsewhere-like lower league signing Gillett,already rubbished by your fellow Derby fans as precisely that
In the past you have shown yourself capable of being corrected and accepting that you have spoken in error.I hope you will have the grace to do so again.
Secondly,would you please give me the actual quote that any owner made about signing 'a big name'.Apart from the fact that Sean is a Manager who prefers to get the best out of players whom he sees above as fitting in with what he wants from the team,they have stated consistently that,although a large sum of money is available should necessity arise,their overall plan is much more long term than the Leicester 'throw money at it ' approach.It's certain Forest fans who assumed 'big names' were on the way and made silly remarks as a result.”
by paul72
Sunday, August 05 2012, 1:06PM
“To be fair could easily do posts like redmike but I choose not 2 and I give credit where its due! Micky like ive said before some forests fans are as bad or worse than Derbys ! I still don't think your board have delivered on there promise of big names and I don't agree with them using forest as a launch pad for Arab football! I would rather see local or lower league players .”
by devondave23
Sunday, August 05 2012, 12:24PM
“Thanks Bomdia, articulate and thorough as always. A couple of points, Pompey fans having lost Halford seemed convinced he was a better RB than CB; which appears, on first impression, to be the case. I wonder if that's where he'll start if we're able to secure another CB this week? Also, no Kuwaiti trialists yesterday! SoD was seen to say on Monday that he'd be making decisions about them during this past week; it would appear from their non appearance yesterday, that one or another, he's made up his mind....”