Nottingham Forest moved out of the Premier League relegation zone after securing a 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town on Friday, although missed chances prevented the visitors from claiming a much-needed victory.
Forest dominated large portions of the match at Portman Road but were unable to capitalise on their opportunities, while a defensive error proved costly as Ipswich fought back to level the score.
Williams Gives Forest an Early Lead
Forest took the lead in the 13th minute when Neco Williams converted Daniel Munoz’s right-wing cross at the far post, scoring his first goal for the club since April.
The visitors continued to threaten, with the returning Morgan Gibbs-White seeing his effort saved by Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton. Leif Davis then cleared the ball off the line to keep the home side in the game.
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Despite Forest’s control, Ipswich found an equaliser in the 41st minute following a defensive lapse.
Nikola Milenkovic’s under-hit backpass allowed Julio Enciso to seize possession and slot the ball past Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels, restoring parity before the interval.
VAR Review Denies Forest a Penalty
Forest believed they had been awarded a penalty early in the second half after midfielder James McAtee went down following a challenge by Issa Diop.
Referee Thomas Bramall initially waved play on before VAR recommended an on-field review to assess a possible red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
After reviewing the footage, Bramall awarded a free-kick and showed Diop a yellow card instead of a red. The referee explained that McAtee “had knocked the ball to the right side of the goal”.
The decision left Forest to continue their search for a winning goal through open play.
Forest Waste Several Late Chances
An energised Forest side created multiple opportunities as the match progressed but failed to find a breakthrough.
Murillo headed a corner wide while unmarked, and Dan Ndoye saw an effort cleared off the line. Former Ipswich striker Liam Delap also missed two chances, heading over from six yards before sending a low shot narrowly wide.
The missed opportunities proved costly for Forest, who were seeking only their second league victory of the season after a difficult start under manager Oliver Glasner, formerly of Crystal Palace.
Forest Move Up to 16th
The draw lifted Nottingham Forest above Coventry City and Tottenham Hotspur into 16th place with six points, although they could return to the relegation zone before the weekend concludes.
Ipswich Town sit ninth in the league standings following the result.
Forest will take encouragement from their attacking display but may regret failing to convert their dominance into three points as they continue their efforts to establish greater consistency in the Premier League.
