Forest (a); The Review

Biggest positive to take

It felt like one of those days when within the opening 15 minutes we had conceded a goal thanks to some slack marking and had our crossbar rattled. But it increasingly feels like we’re not going to have too many of those days this season – we controlled things from that point on, making good use of set pieces and creating plenty from open play as well, that probably should have had us level long before we were.

Moment of the match

Equalising on the hour mark, as the pressure that had been building since at least the start of the second half finally paid off. Even better, there was still plenty left in us to push for the winner.

Random star performer

Timm Klose has had an eventful time of it recently, scoring three goals for Norwich (and one for the opposition) in our last three games. Long may the former continue, if only because his celebrations – on Saturday, running across the front of the away end cupping his ear and pulling stupid faces – are reliably hilarious. What a character to have in both the dressing room and the six-yard box.

Weekly whinge

I’m all for football in the sunshine, especially approaching the end of October, but between 4pm and 5pm on Saturday, as it steadfastly refused to dip behind the stand to the left of the squinting, hands-shading-foreheads away contingent, we got a little bit too much of it.

Farke watch

As usual, he kicked every ball – particularly when we were kicking them wide when it was easier to score in the first half – and he certainly got an immense reaction from the away end as the last City man left on the pitch.

Atmosphere rating

Nice to see the City Ground busy, and at times noisy as well, at least until the home fans realised the game was increasingly slipping away from them. Conversely, the atmosphere in the away end got better as the match went on, particularly once the extremely tedious pre-match and first-half preoccupation with Lewis Grabban – which of course backfired within the first five minutes, it always does – had burnt itself out.

Summary

This was a very tough assignment, against a team unbeaten at home in all competitions, backed by a nearly sold-out stadium, and with an injury list not getting any shorter after the international break; I’d have taken a point beforehand, and bitten your hand off for one after five minutes. And this was no smash and grab win either – by somewhere in the middle of the first half we had well and truly taken the game by the scruff of its neck, and it was just a case of taking the chances. A brilliant result, and it feels like there’s more to come.