Nottm Forest 1 Wolves 1 - Report and pictures
Well at least this draw had goals in it, writes Tim Spiers at the City Ground today.
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And, to be fair to Wolves, there were a few more of those positive signs boss Kenny Jackett is looking for as they claimed a 1-1 draw against their fellow mid-table side.
For one, Joe Mason scored a peach of a goal, his third for the club, in the midst of an excellent spell of pressure at the start of the second-half.
The players had undoubtedly received a rocket from Jackett at half time after yet another one of those insipid, dull halves of football that have littered Wolves' second half of the season.
But their failure to make it 2-0, particularly from a promising counter attack which ended when James Henry fired inches wide, cost them as Gary Gardner's cute 20-yard free kick levelled it up.
And Wolves couldn't get going thereafter, with Jackett again only making one substitution, a like-for-like defensive switch at that with Kortney Hause on for Sylvain Deslandes.
The second-half was far more entertaining than the first and a draw very much a fair result. with Forest looking menacing after their equaliser.
But there will be little that will stick long in the memory from this fixture, as Wolves wind down to what is strikingly clear is a hugely important summer off the field.
Jackett made one change from the team that has drawn 0-0 with Rotherham, restoring Jed Wallace to the starting line-up for his first start since Burnley away last month, with Bright Enobakhare on the bench.
Enobakhare was joined by young Welsh striker Bradley Reid, a prolific scorer for the under-21 side who was in the first-team squad for the first time.
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): De Vries, Lichaj, Mills, Fox, Jokic; Gardner, Tesche; Cohen (Burke, 60), Lansbury (c), Osborn; Blackstock (Assombalonga, 70).
Subs not used: Evtimov, Grant, Worrall, O'Grady, Macheda.
Goal: Gardner (68)
Wolves (4-4-1-1): Ikeme; Doherty, Iorfa, Batth (c), Deslandes (Hause, 69); Wallace, Edwards, Coady, Saville; Henry; Mason.
Subs not used: Martinez, Hause, Price, Byrne, Hunte, Enobakhare, Reid.
Goal: Mason (59)
Attendance: 22,291 (1,935 Wolves fans)
Referee: Iain Williamson (Berkshire)[/breakout]
However there was no place for Kevin McDonald, who was left at home yet again. Wolves lined up in a rejigged 4-4-1-1 formation, with James Henry in the No 10 role behind Joe Mason.
The attacking midfielder looked lively early on, trying his luck with a few balls in behind.
Forest had the game's first shot when Gary Gardner let fly from range - it took a deflection off Dominic Iorfa and nestled on the roof of the net.
David Edwards curled a 20-yarder over the bar, then Chris Cohen drilled not too far wide from a similar distance for the home side.
It was a tepid, gentle start to the game, played out in a subdued City Ground atmosphere apart from a rowdy away end where Wolves were being backed by 2,000 fans.
Mason unleashed a decent effort from the edge of the box which flew past the angle of post and bar, before another long range effort, this time from Henry, was deflected into former Wolves goalkeeper Dorus De Vries' arms.
Just before the break, Danny Fox's header for Forest was well-saved by goalkeeper Carl Ikeme and then Conor Coady blocked Gardner's rebound just in front of the goal line.
That was as exciting as it got in another bland half of football involving Jackett's team, who were too sloppy in possession to garner any momentum or sustained pressure, and produced no threat from either flank.
Wolves started the second-half on top, with Matt Doherty heading wide from George Saville's inswinging free kick and then Henry lashing over from 20 yards after good build-up playing involving Doherty and Mason.
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They went the closest to scoring yet when Danny Batth's shot from a Wallace corner was blocked on the line. Wallace then sent an excellent cross to the back stick, where Batth headed wide.
Wolves were on the charge - and they deservedly took the lead on 58 minutes with a lovely strike from Mason.
He moved the ball onto his left foot, not far outside the Forest box, and curled a left-footed beauty past De Vries and in off his right-hand post.
It was the first goal from any Wolves striker since February 13 (also from Mason, against Preston) and was just reward for a more attacking and purposeful approach from the visitors since the break.
Soon after it should have been 2-0 when Wolves were three-on-two, but their passing was too laboured with Wallace playing to Doherty then to Henry, who crashed just wide left-footed from the left of the box.
Jackett's team were made to pay on 68 minutes when Forest equalised.
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Edwards gave away a free kick just outside the box, dead central, and Gardner curled an excellent strike up and over the ball and past a motionless Ikeme.
Jackett sent on Kortney Hause in place of Sylvain Deslandes at left back, a change that was being lined up before the goal.
Forest replaced Dexter Blackstock with Britt Assombalonga up front, the prolific striker's third substitute appearance since returning from fully 14 months out injured.
Buoyed by the goal and Assombalonga's introduction, the hosts piled on the pressure with the home fans turning up the volume.
Gardner volleyed wide and then Iorfa and Coady made important clearances, with the ball being regularly chucked into the box.
Into the final 10 minutes, Forest continued to look the more likely scorers, with Lansbury curling over from range but Wolves held firm.
Coady, who was having an excellent game from a defensive point of view, made a crucial block after substitute Chris Burke's mazy run saw him skip past two players.
The midfielder then advanced forward to ping a bouncing 25-yard inches past the post, as Wolves went close just four minutes from time.
A further four minutes were added on by the fourth official - but neither team created a chance of note as it ended 1-1, a fair outcome.
