Forest rolled Stoke over 6-0 in this fixture last season and may have expected to again beat a Stoke team with little to play for. Joe Kinnear has got the side playing since he took over and with one more win needed to ensure likely survival, all the signs pointed to a home win.
However, Tony Pulis has insisted time and again that his players would not be on cruise control until the end of the season and they certainly did not sit back on this occasion. Pulis was forced into two changes for the game. Neil Cutler was in goal, deputising for Ed De Goey who is still suffering from concussion that he sustained during the win over Coventry, while a back injury to Ade Akinbiyi saw Gifton Noel-Williams return to the side to partner Carl Asaba up front. Youngsters Karl Henry and Kris Commons both kept their places in the side as Pulis looks to see which of his fringe players deserve to be kept in the Summer. There were also places on the bench for Jermaine Palmer and Andy Wilkinson.
Forest had the better of the early exchanges and had the first real chance after 8 minutes. A long ball up the field was headed on for Gareth Taylor whose left foot shot drifted just wide of the post. Marlon King then drove a powerful shot towards goal but Cutler was able to watch it fly over the bar.
Stoke’s first chance came after 23 minutes. Darel Russell chipped into the box for Kris Commons to race on to but his first time volley went just past the right hand post. As City began to assert themselves in the game Carl Asaba shot from 18 yards but Paul Gerrard superbly tipped the ball around the post.
Andy Reid gave the Potters a torrid time in this fixture last year and after 33 minutes he passed for King again who controlled the ball well but bent his shot wide from around 16 yards thanks to good pressure from Wayne Thomas. Forest had the better of the first half with King guilty of missing a couple of chances, but Stoke were far from overrun and there looked little danger of another 6-0.
Two minutes into the second half saw what proved to be the home side’s last attempt of the match. Gareth Taylor headed down for King once more in the box but his point blank volley was well saved by Cutler.
Minutes later a Kris Commons free kick found Gerry Taggart in the box but he couldn’t quite angle his header goalwards and the ball sailed narrowly wide. As Forest’s attacks began to drop off, John Halls found he was able to get forward more and on the hour mark it was his cross that found Asaba but it ended in another near miss.
The last ten minutes could have seen a winner for the Potters. After 81 minutes it was Commons again who found Taggart with a corner but once again the ball failed to hit the target and the header flicked just over the bar.
With a few minutes left Stoke may have thought they had won it. Asaba turned well and hit a powerful shot but Gerrard produced a fantastic save to keep his clean sheet intact.
Stoke may have felt they deserved all three points after dominating much of the second half but in truth a draw was a fair result. The slight feeling of disappointment Potters fans experienced upon leaving the ground was a long way from the feeling of complete and utter disgust we all felt after leaving the City ground last year.
There is no doubt that Forest have taken a step backwards but what was more obvious was the huge step forward that City have made in the past twelve months. The play-offs were a brief dream but a mid-table finish will be a great achievement for Pulis and his players and fans can look forward to a Summer of further building that should show even more improvement this time next year.