Half Time: Nottingham Forest 1, Burnley 1

The hosts started brightly at the City Ground, with the charge of Henri Lansbury, Jamie Mackie, Jamie Paterson and Radoslaw Majewski forcing the Clarets on the back foot while Simon Cox led the forward line.

Billy Davies’s side had a real zip and energy going forward, and Polish midfielder Majewski benefited from an intricate build up from the right as he cut inside and forced Tom Heaton in to a save low to his left as the space opened up for him on the edge of the box.

But the table-toppers worked tirelessly to restrict the opposition from getting the ball in to the box and as the visitors broke, Karl Darlow had to tip Kieran Trippier’s deep cross around the upright at full stretch.

The hosts went close to breaking the deadlock when Danny Ings’s mis-placed pass on the halfway line gifted Majewski possession and as he fed cox the striker was bundled over by Clarets skipper Jason Shackell. Former Gunner Lansbury hit the bar with an exquisite free-kick before Majewski fired the rebound wide.

Forest were executing a 4-4-1-1 model to perfection, committing men forward and working the holes, and once Lansbury’s speculative drive fortuitously fell in to the path of Paterson, his centre was headed over the bar from close range by Cox. The striker went close again moments later when his effort from distance was palmed to safety by Heaton low to his left.

But after holding off the pressure, Sean Dyche’s men took the lead when Trippier’s cross was handled by Jamaal Lascelles. Forest fans and players felt the decision from referee Craig Boyeson was contentious, but the defender’s arm was out-stretched and he’d prevented a dangerous centre from reaching the likes of Vokes and Ings lurking inside the box. Vokes stepped up and calmly slotted in to the left corner, sending Darlow the wrong way.

As the half wore on, it looked as though the Clarets would take their advantage in to the break. However, with five minutes of the opening half remaining, Paterson teased his markers after switching to the right and clipped a delightful cross over the head of Heaton towards the back post where Cox powered home with his head unchallenged to make it 1-1.

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