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The Return of Lester brings Home Comforts
By David Zotov December 8 2004
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Queens Park Rangers Jack Lester marked his home debut second time around with a stunning header to give Forest their second successive home win.
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Queens Park Rangers

Jack Lester marked his home debut second time around with a stunning header to give Forest their second successive home win.

It was a welcome & deserved success for Forest, which relieved the pressure on manager Joe Kinnear. A small protest had gathered in the Main Stand car park before kick off demanding the removal of the manager.

Forest had started brightly, and deserved the lead given to them when striker David Johnson was brought down clumsily in the box by QPR defender Danny Shittu. Andy Reid stepped up to take the spot kick, but he saw it saved by Chris Day, however the Irishman was first to the rebound and made no mistake second time around.

The Reds should really have doubled their advantage just moments later, when Lester released Alan Rogers clean through on goal with just the keeper to beat, but somehow Rogers managed to completely mishit it and Day scrambled it away. Lester could only loop the follow up header over the bar.

Forest had much the better of the 1st half, Reid going close from a couple of well-taken free-kicks. But with just the one goal to show for their endeavours thoughts of what happened the previous week at Gillingham kept everyone on tenter-hooks during the half-time break.

And sure enough the equaliser was to come as the visitors made a bright start to the 2nd period. A free-kick to the far post was knocked on by Furlong, and George Santos was on hand to hook the ball home off a post. If that was the cue for Forest heads to drop with confidence low, then it didn't happen....in fact it is to Forest credit that they upped the tempo. Lester put striker Gareth Taylor clean through on goal and he should really have done better but Day was able to save with his legs.

It wasn't long though before Forest re-took the lead; a splendid cross from Rogers was met by Lester who launched an unstoppable header into the roof of the net. There was still plenty of work to do yet though as Forest seeked a much-needed win after the devastating loss in the 6-pointer at Gillingham the previous week.

And Forest needed an element of good fortune to keep the lead intact when stand-in centre-back Jon Olav Hjelde bundled Furlong to the ground. A red card would not have surprised, in the current climate it was a professional foul; but the referee, who had a poor game all-round, let it pass much to the relief of the home crowd.

Forest defended resolutely in the closing stages, and held out for a win which will raise spirits in the camp ahead of the East Midlands derby next weekend against arch-rivals Derby County. Forest are yet to win back-to-back games in the league this season, and yet to win away, but there would be no finer place to address that statistic than at Pride Park on Saturday.

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