Reds pick off Forest...

...you feeling that one? Pick them off?? Like scabs?? Well suit yourselves.

I really enjoyed last night. I've had a couple of stressful days at work, and this match came at just the right time. I probably would have preferred this fixture on a Saturday if you'd asked me at the start of the season, but it was a good night anyway at Oakwell last night.

The whole journey to the game was spent ranting about how shite work was with my dad, who was also having the same rant. We occasionally broke off to have a rant at the numerous Blunt fans who were whining on the radio, but other than that, it was a very stress-relieving journey to the game. I felt better for it by the time we were parked up.

Just time before the game to nip for a quick beer before getting our Ipswich tickets and heading into the ground. The atmosphere was pretty good for a Tuesday night, with 2,007 or so visiting fans in the away end. They started out making a fair bit of noise, although they gradually got quieter as the game went on. Yesterday was the first time this season I've been in my seat whilst the players were still warming up, and I'd forgotten how amusing that can be. Why do people stand with their back to the pitch when the players are practising shooting? Surely they can see what is about to happen? Needless to say, it happened again yesterday and someone got a Boggy shot right to the back of the bonce. I'm fully aware that one day it'll probably be me who gets a face full of football, especially now I've written this, but hey ho.

The match itself was, for the most part, enjoyable. In the first half, we weathered a couple of storms before grabbing the lead with either a very good or very lucky Bogdanovic header. Despite a lot of away pressure, we held strong, with the defence doing a decent job in keeping the very dangerous Forest forward line quiet. Adebola might look like a big useless lump, and to be fair he plays like one when the ball is on the deck, but in the air he's very, very effective. He won a lot of headers for them yesterday, and was a thorn in Foster and Shottons side all night.

There was a very funny moment in the first half, when their defender, Perch, kicked the ball into the West Stand, having a tantrum because the decision had gone against him. The bloke behind me shouted "Go fetch it now" and, for some reason, it really amused me. I'm not sure why I liked it so much but it really made me laugh. It sounded like a teacher at school shouting at some pupil. That's gonna stick with me, that one.

The second half was quite similar to the first, with us living on the edge for long periods, although we had a few spells where we were on top and could have put the second goal in. Boggy missed a great chance for his second of the night, and it was beginning to feel like last season when we let a lead slip at Oakwell against these lot. Earnshaw had got the goal that day, and he'd been loitering with intent all night again. It was nice of him, however, to attempt that ridiculous tackle in the box which led to a groundbreaking event in English football; a referee awarding us a penalty. Unfortunately, about 1 minute after getting that decision, last season came flooding back all over again. Thankfully, there were no hissy fits about who was taking it; Boggy stepped up and sent Camp the wrong way. It was only this weekend I was having (yet another) rant about how we never get penalties, so I suppose I can shut up now. I bet it's a while before the next one though.

At 2-0, it was never totally comfortable, and they got their inevitable goal fairly late on. But we stood firm, defended until the end and claimed a crucial 3 points, and another massive step towards safety. They had a couple of half-arsed shouts for penalties, and apparently a goal disallowed, although I missed this happen somehow. It's about time we got our bit of luck though.

The fact that they sit third says a lot about this division. I wasn't impressed with them at all, and their style of play was pretty uninspiring all night, with lots of long balls from the back designed to catch our defence out. I'm not saying that we're Brazil, or Ajax of the 90's, or Donny/Arsenal, but we play more football than they did. Fair enough if it works for them; at the end of the day, if they get promoted then they probably won't care and rightly so. But you feel that automatic promotion is slipping away from them now, and usually a good footballing side can easily overcome a hoofball outfit when it comes to the playoffs. Burnley, anyone?

At the final whistle the feeling of relief was evident, as was the enormity of that result. It could be the one that just ends those lingering fears of being sucked back into the dogfight and allows us to look back up the division instead of down. By the end of the season, that win could prove priceless.

A few down points of the night were confirmed on Radio Sheffield on the way home; mainly Donny winning again and Wendy stealing a point from the jaws of defeat, but the main thing is our result and we got a good one last night. Now we move onto Ipswich Town away from home. They don't lose much on their own soil, but if a win over a top 3 side can't give us the confidence to go there and take the game to them, then I don't know what will. Let's hope we can keep our very, very slim playoff hopes alive.

Thanks for reading.