Mathias Jorgensen scored a 96th-minute own goal as Nottingham Forest salvaged a dramatic late point against Brentford at the City Ground.
Morgan Gibbs-White opened the scoring with a delightful solo effort when he received the ball on the edge of the box, shrugged off a few defenders and got a shot away that was helped on its way by a heavy deflection.
Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo converted a controversial penalty and Yoane Wissa chipped goalkeeper Dean Henderson to put Brentford on the brink of their first away win of the season.
But a scramble in the box in the 96th minute eventually saw the ball cross the line, the final touch coming off Brentford defender Jorgensen.
Forest have opened the scoring in five of their six home matches this season but have gone on to lose three of those games and drawn one.
Despite extensive investment over the summer, they remain rooted to the foot of the league with the worst goal difference, having scored 10 and conceded 30.
Gibbs-White, signed in the summer for a club record £25m, was lively however and had a chance to open the scoring when he strode forward and found Brennan Johnson, whose well-struck shot was saved by David Raya before Ben Mee hooked a leg in to make a crucial clearance.
Forest had a shout for a penalty when Josh Dasilva shoved Ryan Yates but a VAR check deemed there was not enough in it.
Gibbs-White’s run and finish after 20 minutes nevertheless gave the hosts a lead they looked poised to take into the break only for Forest keeper Henderson to concede a contentious penalty deep into first-half stoppage time.
Wissa ran on to a looping ball from midfield and Henderson stuck a glove out to try and scoop the ball up, but was deemed to have caught Wissa as the forward tried to take the ball around him.
A lengthy VAR check eventually advised referee Andre Marriner to go to the monitor and he awarded the penalty that Mbeumo converted, much to the despair of Henderson and the home crowd.
Forest struggled to create clear-cut chances to retake the lead and Wissa’s goal with 15 minutes remaining appeared to have settled the result in the visitors’ favour.
But a frantic period of injury time saw Taiwo Awoniyi come close with a free header in the box before a cross from the right bounced around in the area and eventually came off the unlucky Jorgensen to send the City Ground into chaos.
This was the first-ever top-flight meeting between these sides and Brentford struggled to get into the game in the first half, with Forest hemming them in and enjoying the better chances.
The timing of the penalty, coming just before half-time, gave Thomas Frank’s side a much-needed boost and Brentford looked more energetic in the second half, but neither side dominated and the point was probably what each deserved.
The Bees have only kept one clean sheet in their last 23 away games, conceding 51 – 11 of those on their last three away days.
They are now winless in seven away trips this season, having drawn four and lost three.
Top scorer Ivan Toney was serving a one-match suspension, leaving Wissa and Mbeumo to deliver a threat up front for the visitors, and the result means Brentford have now won just one of six Premier League games in which the England striker has been absent.
source – BBC
