BILLY Davies must make an unwanted trip to familiar territory, after League One Prestons display of resolve, grit and organisation frustrated Nottingham Forest and earned them an FA Cup replay.Simon Graysons side arrived with a game plan, one that they perfectly executed – and one that might even have earned them a shock win in the final stages.Preston, Davies former club, stifled Forests attacking threat on the banks of the Trent and, while both sides had limited opportunities, it was Karl Darlow who had to make a number of important saves in the final stages, as the visitors looked to claim their second Championship scalp.Preston had defeated Ipswich in the third round, while Forest had hammered West Ham. But Davies side simply were not allowed the room in which to play with the same verve and guile with which they had taken apart the Premier League strugglers.And they will now head to Deepdale for a replay, as they look to secure a place in the fifth round of the competition.With Henri Lansbury sitting out the first of a two-match ban, Radi Majewski was drafted into the midfield, while a fit again Eric Lichaj was restored at left back, in place of Dan Harding, who was relegated to the bench.Majewski almost had an immediate impact, bending an ambitious shot towards the far post from close to 30 yards and only missing by a foot or two.Prestons game plan was clearly to stifle Forests most creative players, with the visitors arriving with a five-man midfield. Former Reds player Joe Garner was their only permanent attacking outlet, playing as a lone striker.But their game plan was almost pulled apart within the first ten minutes, when a flurry of quick passes saw Majewski fed into space on the right. His ball, flashed across goal, was controlled well by Simon Cox, who hit a powerful shot on the turn, with Declan Rudd forced into a capable save at his near post.Still Forests threat was not over, with Andy Reid picking out the tall figure of Greg Halford from the resulting corner, with the defender sending his header over the bar when he might have done better with the chance.Preston showed their teeth for the first time when Chris Humphrey showed his pace down the right flank, before cutting the ball back for Paul Gallagher. Thankfully for Forest, the midfielder failed to muster any power in his shot, when he had been well placed to test Darlow.It proved to be the first of two changes in quick succession for Preston, with the winger again carving out another opportunity, this time for Garner, who connected cleanly with a volley at the near post, but steered it over the angle of post and bar.Garner may not be a towering striker, but he had built a reputation as a combative, no nonsense figure during his time at Forest and he was becoming embroiled in a physical battle with Halford, a man a foot taller.Prestons packed midfield was making it difficult for Forest to carve out much in the way of opportunity, with Reid and Vaughan both dropping deep in an effort to get on the ball and make something happen.A rare mistake at the back allowed Mackie the room to drive a ball across goal, but the alert Preston defence was able to clear before a Forest player could profit. Halford looked briefly to have sent Cox clear, but the strikers progress was quickly halted by an offside flag.Forest looked as though they might finally find a crack in Prestons armour when Gonzalo Jara was sent darting into space down the right. The Chilean used the ball cleverly, finding Mackie at the near post, but the Scotsman fired wide of the post.At one stage, as the half came to a close, every Forest outfield player had pushed into the Preston half, as the Preston defence sat ever deeper.When Vaughan – who could have been playing his last game for the club with his loan spell set to expire – found the room to fire a low cross towards the near post, Bailey Wright came close to an own goal, sliding in to prod the ball just wide of the upright.The second half began with Cox and Mackie combining well to send the former QPR man sprinting down the left channel, but Tom Clarke was across quickly to make a challenge that had to be perfectly timed, just inside the box.Majewski won a corner as Forest forged another short spell of pressure, but Patersons right foot cross was cleared easily at the near post. Preston then broke quickly and dangerously through the speedy Humphrey, but his touch, at the vital moment, was just a little too strong and allowed Darlow to race off his line and make an easy claim.Garner then let fly with a rising, driven shot from all of 25 yards, lifting the Preston fans to their feet, but not causing much nervousness in Darlow, who calmly watched it fly six feet wide of the target.Gallagher did force some urgency from the Forest keeper when he had a crack from range, from out on the left, with the ball bouncing awkwardly in front of Darlow, who needed two attempts to hold on to the slippery ball.That prompted a double change from Forest, who brought on Darius Henderson and Djamel Abdoun in place of Cox and Mackie.But it was Darlow who had to save again, as Gallagher fired in a curling free-kick that stung the keepers palms.Forest had a dangerous moment of their own when Jara whipped in a cross, but Rudd was alert and made an important claim to halt Forests progress again. Preston were still largely limited to efforts from range, with skipper John Welsh firing wildly over from 25 yards.Abdoun almost made the breakthrough when he left Wiseman for dead down the Forest left, but the Algerians fine cross just eluded Paterson at the far post.But Garner was still chipping away for Preston, forcing a sprawling save from Darlow with forceful, low shot.While, as full time approached, Reid curled a delicious effort just the wrong side of the post. Although all three Preston subs came close, with Iain Hume also testing Darlow at his near post with a crisp shot, Lee Holmes seeing an effort deflected wide and Jack King heading a promising chance just over.King was a lively figure, with Darlow saving brilliantly to push away his instant, fizzing low shot that seemed bound for the far corner.The closest Forest came to a winner was a flicked header from Matt Derbyshire that dropped the wrong side of the post. But they had Darlow to thank for ensuring they are still in the competition.Man of match: Karl Darlow. The keeper had a quiet first half but, as the game went on, he was required to make a number of increasingly important saves to keep Forest in the competition.Referee: Mike Dean. Controlled the game very well. Barely put a foot wrong and allowed things to flow. Head and shoulders above some of the referees the City Ground has witnessed this season.Forest: Darlow, Jara, Halford, Collins, Lichaj, Vaughan, Reid, Mackie (Aboun 60), Majewski (Derbyshire 74), Paterson, Cox (Henderson 60). Subs: de Vries, Harding, Moussi, Lascelles.Preston: Rudd, Buchanan, Clarke, Wright, Wiseman, Gallagher, Welsh, Kilkenny (Hume 83), Humphrey (Holmes 71), Brownhill, Garner (King 86). Subs: Stuckmann, Laird, Bevon, Keane.Attendance: 26,465 (2,055 away)
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 09:02:02 +0000
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