Nottingham Forest 2-2 Millwall: Lions fight back from two goals down to draw

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Lee GregoryImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Lee Gregory has scored four league goals this season

Struggling Millwall fought back from 2-0 down to draw at Nottingham Forest in a game held up by a floodlight failure.

The hosts took the lead when Joe Lolley was given too much time and space outside the area and arrowed a low shot past Lions goalkeeper Ben Amos.

After a lengthy delay in the second half when one of the floodlights went out, Joao Carvalho made it 2-0 with a fine free-kick.

Shaun Williams gave the visitors hope when he headed in from Shane Ferguson's cross and Lee Gregory secured a draw when he tapped in during stoppage time.

The point was not enough to move the Lions out of the relegation zone but they are now just one point adrift of 21st-placed Hull City.

There seemed to be no chance of them taking anything from the City Ground when Carvalho's free-kick beat Amos two minutes after the game had resumed following the extended hold-up.

However, Williams got them back in it just five minutes later and, with the hosts reeling after Gregory's late leveller, nearly found a winner when Ferguson flashed a bouncing ball across the face of goal.

They host managerless Aston Villa on Saturday, while Forest visit high-flying Middlesbrough.

City GroundImage source, Dan Westwell
Image caption,

Fans did their best to try and provide some light after the floodlights went out in the 68th minute

Forest boss Aitor Karanka:

"We have not played well but, even despite that, we were still winning 2-0, so I am disappointed because we should have won, even without playing our best.

"I do not want to single out one player or even two players. We win as a team and lose as a team.

"I spoke last weekend about needing to manage games better. We need to learn, because we did not play the first half in the way that we should have played.

"We wanted to play on the grass, because they play long balls. The best way to stop their long-ball game, was to keep the ball. But we could not do that."

Millwall boss Neil Harris:

"The performance was outstanding, in the first half in particular. It was a travesty that we were losing at half-time and not several goals ahead already.

"There was no issue at half-time. It was about making sure we sustained the pressure and kept creating chances.

"When the second goal went in that it was just a continuation of the luck we have had this season. We have had some horrendous luck and we saw that again. We hit the bar and it went over and they hit the bar and it goes in.

"But our luck has to turn eventually and that equaliser at the end felt like a turning point. It was a point gained, that is for sure and it will give us belief moving forward."

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