Opportunity knocked but no answer from Forest

DISMAL NIGHT IN PORTUGAL FOR VISITORS

- By SARAH CLAPSON

Yates and (inset, far right) Morgan Gibbs-White after missed chances for Nottingham Forest against Braga.

(PICS: PA)

COME the end, a significant number of the 2,100 Nottingham Forest fans in the Estadio Municipal de Braga did not hold back.

They had spent a chunk of their hard-earned cash to watch their team play in Portugal and they were far from happy with what they had seen. They made that clear in no uncertain terms at the full-time whistle.

Boos had already echoed around Braga's stadium at halftime and during the second half as the Reds slumped to a 1-0 Europa League defeat. They rained down from high up in one of the two stands again when it was all over, and this time they were accompanied by jeers and X-rated chants.

An evening that could have seen Sean Dyche’s side put one foot in the round of 16 turned ugly and finished with them facing the prospect of a two-legged playoff.

Much like the season as a whole, it was a missed opportunity and a damaging case of Forest shooting themselves in the foot.

Below is a look at the main talking points from the game:

Dyche argued afterwards that were it not for 54 seconds where the visitors proved masters of their own downfall, they could have come away with at least a point.

The “minute of madness’; as he called it, was hugely costly.

Having created very little, the Reds were suddenly offered an opportunity to snatch a result when they were awarded a penalty less than 10 minutes into the second half.