Match Thread: Forest 1 - 1 Blackpool (FT)

Venue: The City Ground
Date: 06/04/2013

Live @ http://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewLiveArticle/199939

PREVIEW

Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies hopes to have Adlene Guedioura and Sam Hutchinson back in contention for the visit of Blackpool.

Davies was disappointed by the performance of his team against Burnley on Monday. The Scot made six changes at Turf Moor as he looked to freshen up his side following the epic 2-2 home draw with Brighton two days before.

But Forest responded with a disjointed display and it took an injury-time penalty from Lewis McGugan to preserve the club's nine-match unbeaten run since Davies returned for his second spell in charge.

Midfielder Guedioura and defender Hutchinson were both left out of the squad altogether.

Guedioura's exclusion was on medical advice after the Algeria international was left with concussion following an off-the-ball clash with Brighton's Dean Hammond, while Hutchinson was stiff following his first game back from a lengthy injury absence.

Davies hopes both players will come back into the squad for Saturday's game.

Centre-half Danny Collins, midfielder Radoslaw Majewski and strikers Simon Cox and Darius Henderson could be recalled after dropping out of the team against Burnley.

Defender Dan Harding and midfielder Jonathan Greening are also options for Davies.

Paul Ince must do without Barry Ferguson and Matt Derbyshire as Blackpool look to make it successive npower Championship wins.

Veteran midfielder Ferguson received a pair of first-half bookings against Crystal Palace on Easter Monday but his team-mates responded creditably against Ian Holloway's promotion chasers, Matt Phillips notching a dramatic late winner.

On-loan striker Derbyshire was dropped to the bench in favour of Nathan Delfouneso last time out but is ineligible to press his claims against his parent club.

Ince has been pleased to see what he believes to be a much-needed resilience becoming part of his side's make-up in recent outings.

"To be a good team you've got to have every facet to the game," he said.

"It's okay playing a Barcelona style of football, the five-a-side football as I call it to a certain extent, but you've got to have everything.

"I remember my days with Manchester United and we had everything, going to Wimbledon and mixing it against the likes of Vinny Jones and John Fashanu but also playing the nice football against the Tottenhams and the Arsenals."

Forward Gary Taylor-Fletcher (hamstring) is a long-term absentee alongside experienced defender Ian Evatt.

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FORM (LAST 5 GAMES)

Nottingham Forest: : WWWDD
Blackpool: DWLDW

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LINE-UPS

Nottingham Forest: Darlow, Jara Reyes, Ward, Halford, Cohen (c), Guedioura, Reid, Lansbury, Majewski, Cox, Henderson
Subs: Evtimov, Hutchinson, Collins, Moussi, McGugan, Blackstock, Sharp

Blackpool: Gilks, Baptiste, Broadfoot, MacKenzie, Crainey, Osbourne, Basham, Sylvestre, M Phillips, Ince, Delfouneso
Subs: Halstead, Eardley, Cathcart, Harris, Angel, Grandin, Eccleston

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HEAD TO HEAD


• A last-minute goal from Dexter Blackstock salvaged a point for Nottingham Forest when these met at Bloomfield Road six months ago
and drew 2-2.

• Blackpool's 4-3 victory in their last but one visit to the City Ground in May 2010 took the Seasiders into the Championship play-off final - and eventually promotion to the Premier League.

• Four of the last five corresponding regular league fixtures have been drawn.

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TEAM INFORMATION

Nottingham Forest

• Play-off contenders Nottingham Forest are fifth in the Championship and top of the division's "Last Six Current Form" table.

• They are unbeaten since Billy Davies returned as manager on 12 February, winning six and drawing three of the last nine. Davies is hoping to engineer a ninth home win against a bottom-half club.

• Billy Sharp is standing by to make his 250th career league start, and Guy Moussi his 100th, in Forest colours.


Blackpool

• Monday's 1-0 home win over Crystal Palace was Blackpool's second victory in Paul Ince's eighth game in charge.

• The Seasiders are six places but just three points above the relegation zone, and have lost two of their 10 fixtures to date against the current top six clubs, winning three.

• The Tangerines have opened the scoring in only 11 of their 40 games - the fewest in the Championship.


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PREVIOUS MEETING

Blackpool – 2:
Grandin (70)
Taylor-Fletcher (75)

Nottingham Forest – 2:
Sharp (25)
Blackstock (90)

Venue: : Bloomfield Road
Date: : 23/10/2012
Attendance: : 13,228

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