Forest beat Watford 4-2 after super-subs inspire comeback

Fresh back from watching Forest beast Watford 4-2 at the City Ground tonight.

The Reds looks dead and buried when Gabriele Angella scored his second right after half time. I was lamenting the loss of Jack Hobbs in defence, who would surely not have allowed the chisel-jawed Italian to go unmarked in the box to head home.

But after Greg Halford was brought off and Simon Cox introduced the game turned. Cox calmly tapped in after Guy Moussi headed the ball down – pay back for being beaten to the ball in the first half which had gifted Watford their opener.

Forest always looked the better team – possession stats showed they had 70% compared with Watford’s measly 30% – and with their tales up an equaliser looked inevitable. Darius Henderson, who has not featured regular in the starting line-up, came off the bench to score a header from Andy Reid’s delightful cross.

Watford’s negative and cynical game plan of defending and breaking on the counter attack was starting to fall apart. They looked frail and afraid.  Their weakness was confirmed when Forest’s third sub Jamie Mackie headed home from another Andy Reid cross. The Irishman really is amazing. He looks the complete professional – and much fitter – since returning to Forest after stints in the Premier League with Tottenham (where former Forest centre half and Reid’s ex-teammate Michael Dawson has carved out a much better career), Sunderland, Charlton and Blackpool.

Forest were blazing now and Cox looked sharp. His crisp finish with a minute to go sealed the win and put a beaming smile on the face of Forest chairman Fawaz Al-Hawasi who had been watching from the stands.

Cox even had a chance for a hatrick in injury time but couldn’t find the power to slot home.

Forest looked great. There are some frailties in defence which manager Billy Davies will have to iron out with the help of new players in the transfer window. But overall they look a good side to be in the play-offs come the end of the season, or even automatic promotion.