Ipswich, who not so long ago were embroiled in a relegation fight, but have since clawed their way to mid-table safety, came to Nottingham in good form, having won at Derby on Bank Holiday Monday. And they certainly began the game in a confident manner, and posed the Forest defence a number of problems with Lee Camp having to be very alert between the posts. Forest, too, got forward a lot and applied a lot of pressure, earning a succession of corners, but unlike Camp, the Ipswich goalkeeper had very little to do in the first half.
Ipswich really deserved to be at least one goal up at the break, but as things transpired in the second half, they were left to ponder what might have been, as Forest started the second half in the best possible fashion by taking the lead very early on, and just got stronger and stronger after that. Rob Earnshaw did all the hard work with a free-kick, which took a lucky deflection off Luke Chambers on its way into the net. Chambers was credited with the goal, but Earnie quite rightly deserved the plaudits. That goal really spurred Forest on, and just over ten minutes later Guy Moussi tapped in from close range following an excellent run by Chris Gunter to score his second goal in a week. The Reds really looked comfortable now with Ipswich appearing to have given up, and as if there was any doubt at all that the points belonged to Forest, Earnshaw made sure that his name did actually get on the scoresheet when he put Forest in cruise control with a close-range effort with quarter of an hour remaining. With the news that West Brom had won at Doncaster and therefore booked their place in the Premiership, Forest's ghostly faint hopes of stealing the second automatic promotion spot were ended, but the win and favourable results elsewhere mean that we will definitely be in the play-offs, as if there was any doubt about that. When you consider that a exactly a year ago this weekend Dexter Blackstock's last-minute winner against Bristol City saw us climb out of the relegation zone, you have to say what a fantastic achievement. Whatever happens from hereon in, Forest can be very proud of themselves.
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