Albion 2 Nottingham Forest 2

 

AFTER the anger, frustration and red-card inquests have died down, Albion were left with an over-riding emotion with which to face their long week before going to Chelsea.

That they dropped two points in this fiery Sunday afternoon tussle.

The Seagulls did the hard part by coming from a goal down against a streetwise, awkward, counter-attacking team.

They should have been on their way to maximum points by the midway point of the second half.

In the end, they found a different route by which to reach the same destination as against Ipswich eight days earlier. One point instead of three.

Superb goals from Jack Hinshelwood and Danny Welbeck responded to Chris Wood’s penalty.

Welbeck was denied by keeper Matz Sels in the closest the hosts came to a third goal before Ramon Sosa counter-punched a leveller for Forest.

The visitors lost Morgan Gibbs-White to a second yellow going into the final stages in an incident which also saw bosses Fabian Huerzeler and Nuno Espirito Santo red-carded.

We knew what to expect from this contest and the match settled into its anticipated pattern from very early on.

Albion were challenged to play a way through a well-organised Forest while being diligent against possible counter-attacks.

Simon Adingra, back in the XI along with Pervis Estupinan, whipped a low shot across the face of goal after a terrific, intricate build-up featuring several players, including a clever pass by Carlos Baleba to find Kaoru Mitoma.

But Baleba was the villain when the hosts fell behind in the 13th minute.

The nightmare scenario of going behind to a counter-attacking side became reality on the visitors’ first foray.

Immediate danger from a low cross appeared to be passing but there was clumsy contact between Callum Hudson-Odoi and Baleba and referee Robert Jones pointed to the spot.

Wood happily sent Bart Verbruggen the wrong way from the spot.

And so Albion had to find a way through – and it was almost Forest who pounced again when Verbruggen had to come out of his area to clear from Alex Moreno.

Georginio Rutter looped a header over from an Estupinan corner and then shot wide on the turn, but neither effort worried Sels.

An increasingly sour mood was not helped by yellows for Baleba and Welbeck, the second for what appeared to be his reaction when James Ward-Prowse fouled Rutter and then prevented a quick free-kick.

But the game turned with two goals late in the half.

Mitoma’s willingness to make driving runs at the defence was a part of both goals.

On the first, his cross found no takers but Adingra retrieved the ball, found Jan Paul van Hecke and the defender produced a cross of which Pascal Gross would have been proud.

Hinshelwood rose, worked his neck muscles and gave it the finish it deserved.

Mitoma’s next run at the defence was ended by Ola Aina’s trip.

The defender was booked and Welbeck appeared to wrongfoot or outwit Sels with the free-kick, which flew inside the far post with the keeper possibly expecting him to curl it over the wall.

Forest made a triple change at the break as they sent on Neco Williams, Ryan Yates and Jota Silva, replacing Ward-Prowse, Moreno and Anthony Elanga.

Williams was booked on his first meeting with Mitoma and it was during the period which followed that the Seagulls should have put the contest out of reach.

The moment which will live most vividly in the memory saw Sels use his foot to somehow deny Welbeck.

There was some brilliant work by van Hecke firstly to keep the ball away from Wood and spread play wide to Mitoma.

The winger’s sublime first touch got him moving and then Welbeck tip-toed his way between defenders before his poked effort was saved.

Mitoma was beating his man on a regular basis at that time but nothing came of his crosses and passes.

It started to feel like the storm had abated and, on 70 minutes, Forest were level.

This time they were played onside by Joel Veltman as Albion defended high up, Silva made tracks and teed up an open goal for Sosa.

Albion continued to press hard, throwing on Evan Ferguson and Joao Pedro among their changes.

Tempers flared again when Gibbs-White lunged dangerously into Joao Pedro but also got some of the ball in the process.

After a moment or two, referee Jones showed Gibbs-White the second yellow, by which time arguments were raging in the nearby technical areas around fourth official Anthony Taylor. Huerzeler and Espirito Santo were shown straight reds.

Albion continued to press forward and commit men in attack.

It looked like Sosa wasted a glorious chance to punish them on a counter raid although replays suggested he was offside.

Forest fans celebrated their point at the end. It was two dropped for the Seagulls. Again.

Albion: Verbruggen: Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan (Ferguson 82); Hinshelwood, Baleba (Wieffer 62); Adingra (Minteh 62), Rutter (Joao Pedro 71), Mitoma; Welbeck. Unused subs: Steele, Webster, Igor, Enciso, Kadioglu.

Goals: Hinshelwood 42, Welbeck 45 Booked: Baleba, Welbeck, Dunk.

Sent-off: Huerzeler.Nottingham Forest: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno (Williams 46); Anderson (Sosa 59), Ward-Prowse (Yates 46); Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Elanga (Silva 46); Wood (Morata 72). Unused subs: Miguel, Moreira, Dominguez, Awoniyi.

Goals: Wood 13 (pen), Sosa 70 Booked: Aina, Williams, Gibbs-White (two), Silva, Hudson-Odoi.

Sent-off: Gibbs-White, Espirito Santo.