Nottingham Forest 2 Blackburn Rovers 2 - Peter White's big match verdict

FOOTBALL can be a cruel game - just ask Blackburn Rovers.

With the News at Ten presenter shuffling papers and clearing his throat ready for the chimes of Big Ben, the clock stopped on Rovers' planned surge up the Premiership.

Or at least the referee's watch did.

A game that seemed won was suddenly drawn and a time-out was called on the progress plotted by caretaker-boss Tony Parkes.

Instead of looking forward to the chance of climbing out of the bottom three relegation places, we were plunged into a debate about the merits of a point - for either side.

Yet, when you forget about the stoppage-time drama which unfolded on a cold, windswept night at the City Ground, was a stalemate so surprising?

The Christmas lights have already been turned on in shopping centres all over the country, yet Nottingham Forest have still to win a home game and Rovers have yet to succeed on their travels. A banker draw in some respects, though no-one would have bet on how it happened.

But it did have its positive aspects for a Rovers side who need only remain as committed as they were by the Trent last night and they will soon make real progress up the table.

They had only themselves to blame for going in at the interval a goal down, Jeff Kenna committing a bad blunder by lunging in on Chris Allen to concede a penalty.

But they fought back splendidly, scored two superbly-taken goals from Kevin Gallacher and Jason Wilcox and assumed almost total control.

With Forest reduced, however, to hit and hope, and sending keeper Mark Crossley forward for a set piece in the dying minutes, they were finally carved open some 90 seconds into stoppage time for a scrappy home equaliser.

Forest had got out of jail and they knew it, despite manager Frank Clark's protestations that his team deserved their draw.

In short, they were lucky.

Forest's fear was evident before the start, as they changed their usual formation to cope with Rovers.

It meant a scrappy first half, with space and time (the latter for once!) at a premium.

But the early second half goals by Rovers stretched the game, opened it up and, if only they could have scored a third, they would have coasted it against a side whose heads visibly dropped in the second half. Nevertheless, Parkes himself has stressed that there will not be any overnight miracles. It will be a collective effort over a period of time to get out of trouble.

In that respect, the disappointment over seeing victory snatched away should be tempered by the fact that it is another away point. The most positive aspect for me was the attitude of the whole team, the performance of Kevin Gallacher and another stout show from central defenders Colin Hendry and Henning Berg.

We almost expect it as the "norm" nowadays for Hendry to produce the sort of heroic goal-line clearance that came midway through the second half, after Alf Haaland's header had hit the bar.

But how good to see Gallacher back at his peak. His work-rate was prodigious and he presented a threat to the home defence all night.

With Chris Sutton having to battle single-handed against two central defenders and lacking quality service, except when he missed a great chance to clinch the match, it was crucial that the two wide players, Gallacher and Jason Wilcox, made an important contribution. They did.

An untidy first half almost erupted into all-out war when Stuart Pearce hacked down Gallacher and Tim Sherwood charged over to push the opposing skipper in the chest. Happily, other players stepped in and referee Paul Alcock, who had a lot of tough decisions to make, was content to give both men a yellow card when others might have shown red.

Ironically, from a football point of view, Forest's best effort was a Pearce free kick - harshly awarded - superbly saved by Tim Flowers and a terrific Sherwood shot, also well stopped by Mark Crossley.

Right on half time, Forest led when Pearce cashed in on Kenna's foul by sending Flowers the wrong way from the penalty spot.

The first half had threatened to boil over with the obvious tension and, while Billy McKinlay escaped a second card for another lunge, Rovers impressed in a football sense after the break.

A good build-up towards the left saw Wilcox and, crucially, Le Saux involved. When the full back's low cross came over, Gallacher produced a superb finish with the outside of his right foot to equalise.

Three minutes later, from a throw-in, Gallacher wriggled free, cracked in a superb shot that Crossley palmed and Wilcox, getting stronger as the game went on, didn't have much of a target from the rebound but hit it.

Forest then mustered everything they had but it didn't count and Rovers seemed to have taken complete control, apart from the up-and-unders.

But, just when victory seemed assured, Allen went on a mazy run, Kevin Campbell's mis-hit shot from just a few yards turned into a perfect pass and Colin Cooper scrambled the ball home at the back post.

Disappointment on the night, but it needn't mean despair.

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