Nottingham Forest 1 - 1 Walsall

And so it goes on. The winless sequence against The Saddlers is extended by yet another game. I'm tempted to say that the sequence remains unbroken for yet another season, but there's always that horrible nagging thought: what if we get Walsall in the play-offs?

Not a nice prospect, and on current form we'll be lucky to make the play-offs at all, let alone beat Walsall to reach the final, or (dare I say it) achieve promotion. We're simply not good enough, and the reality of the situation is beginning to bite hard.

And yet it all started so well today. Overlooking the fact we were attacking the Trent End first half, we'd abandoned our unwelcome tradition (for this season at least) of retreating into our own half to soak up pressure by launching into a sustained bombardment on their goal right from the off. By the fourth minute Matt Thornhill, determined to build on his successful performance at Roots Hall midweek could have netted twice: both of which were well saved by today's version of Gordon Banks, on this occasion disguised as Clayton Ince.

There was more from Thornhill when he turned provider for Cohen and Tyson shortly afterwards, and Brett Ormerod, on his home debut was making a nuisance of himself among a somewhat fragile-looking Walsall defence. Better still, we were playing the ball to feet in a manner we've hardly seen since we beat Crewe here back in November, and even our passing looked much improved. In fact we looked so in control it looked as if today just might be the day we banish that Walsall curse which has dogged us for the last eight years. If only we could make these chances count...

Unlike the Carlisle game where half time rather interrupted the flow of play, we continued in the same vein straight from the restart. And four minutes later it bore fruit when McGugan sent a telling pass forward towards Tyson who was playing wide, and his pace carved open a hole in the Saddlers' defence again, sliding in a low cross which Ormerod met just in time over on the far post and managed to squeeze the ball past Ince. Hurrah for perseverence, and up to this point of the game it was no less than Forest deserved. We appeared to have found an easy way through using Tyson who had improved steadily as the game had progressed to this point, and we ought to have grabbed a second only a minute after taking the lead when he supplied another cross for Ormerod, this time on the near post and only narrowly missing.

But once again it was to turn into one of those occasions when we'd end up paying for all those missed chances. What we hadn't bargained for was how quickly. In a rare Walsall attack, which did not look all that dangerous, Sonko sent a cross towards the far post and it looked as if Mooney (one of those veteran players who has a habit of causing damage when visiting City Ground, whoever he's playing for) had too tight an angle to head back towads goal and actually score. Smudge ought to have collected it comfortably, instead he missed the ball, and an onrushing Kelvin Wilson there as back-up inadvertently met the ball to send it into the net. There are calamities and there are calamities, and this was just the latest in a series of them this season. Whilst Wilson cannot be directly responsible for this one, I reckon this must be about the third time we've conceded an own goal where he's been involved. Unlucky? Maybe. But being directly involved in one of Forest's main failings this season should be cause for concern by now, and what was Smudge playing at, when he ought to have had that ball covered? I don't know if it's just coincidence, but since the previous goalkeeping coach (Beesley?) departed for Birmingham, Smudge has looked decidedly jittery in some situations, with at least today's goal and the one conceded against Carlisle bordering distinctly on Howler territory.

If I'd known at this point how the rest of the game was to progress, I think I'd have started heading for home right there and then. Walsall pulled everyone back to defend in numbers, and we responded by staying rooted to the spot, making any kind of penetrative football like we'd enjoyed just after half time impossible. Movement off the ball, anyone? Try it, you might like it. Even the unlikely situation of having four strikers on the field for the closing stages of the game failed to make an impact, but in all honesty why should we be surprised? Agogo and his rusty boots still dream of the African Nations and all the recognition it brought, and Grant Holt might just as well not have bothered. Holt's strike rate (a paltry 3 goals in 22 appearances) is depressing enough when you compare him with Tyson (6 in 17) and Commons (8 in 25). And it gets all the more annoying when you see Jack Lester's tally extend by the week, now with 23 for the season. Sorry, but I'm afraid you got this well and truly wrong, Colin!

With two minutes stoppage time still to play I decided I'd seen enough and headed for the exit since I'd already guessed how the mood would be at the final whistle, which was confirmed as I passed the Main Stand en route back to the car. Totally disgruntled, I tuned into Radio Nottingham to hear what I already suspected would happen, with CC refusing to be drawn on our deteriorating promotion prospects - instead offering the usual 'take the positives' crap - which only enraged me still further and it took John McGovern's post-match analysis to inject some kind of realism to the proceedings.

No punches pulled. The rhetoric has to stop and we need to start seeing action to produce RESULTS. Calderwood's constant appearing to be in denial is just beginning to sound like a failed spin doctor, and with my interpretation of spin-doctoring merely a euphemism for bullsh*t, it's no use trying to talk the talk with the fans' patience dropping below the danger levels.

If you can't talk the talk, Colin you'll just have to walk the walk.

If results elsewhere had gone largely in our favour which, in a way they did today it was scant consolation. Not fulfilling our side of the bargain by gaining maximum points makes today's solitary point gain on Doncaster totally hopeless as games start to run out. On current form we don't even warrant a play-off berth, never mind automatic promotion, especially compared with teams performing consistently better than we are, yet again showing that (and this will hurt), THEY'RE serious about promotion - are we?

Oh, well. At best we can try turning it round starting next game. Oh, look. It's in-form Northampton away, and they've only beaten Swansea 4-2 today to give their own play-off aspirations a massive boost.

Doesn't exactly bode well, does it?

Ref Watch: G Laws - No relation to Brian, I trust. Two blatant handballs missed during the first half was just the start of this inept performance.

Entertainment Value: A very absorbing first hour, with most of the chances going to Forest. Tailed off sharply after the equaliser though. 6.5/10

Atmosphere: Unlike most opening periods the fans were suitably responsive to the action unfolding in front of them, for the first half at least, however exasperation had well and truly set in by full time.

Highlights: Very entertaining first half, especially the opening fifteen minutes; Ormerod's goal was well taken, and thoroughly deserved by the way we'd been playing up until then.

Lowlights: The game might as well have finished once Walsall had equalised, since what followed bore little resemblance to football; poor James Perch being ill shortly after half time and having to come off a few minutes later.

Stinker: Smudge - looked to be all over the place when he gifted Mooney's equaliser.

Stormer: Thornhill, Jules and Big Wes all gave 100 per cent.