Home sweet home
20/11/05 | by Chris Price

There is something magical about the City Ground at this time of year. I don’t know if it is just me, because I tried explaining it to my dad but he had no clue what I was on about, but when it gets dark early, the floodlights are on and the mist rolls in from the Trent, there’s something about the City Ground that makes it feel homely. It is so much better than these awful new grounds (God forbid we ever have one) because it's got a setting and character. I passed a bunch of Southend fans on my way to the ground and they seemed to be in awe of what we have.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to a Forest game and even longer since I’ve been to the City Ground, so Saturday came as a welcome treat for myself. The journey up was horrible. There was terrible fog and you could hardly see anything and it got to a point where I felt if it was that bad in Nottingham the game might be called off. But it eased off the further north we got and I couldn’t wait to get there. I had been looking forward to this all week and the signing of Nathan Tyson added to the excitement. I thought he would start on the bench but he started up front with Taylor.

The game kicked off, with most of the action coming in the first 15 minutes. Tyson’s pace was causing all sorts of problems and when he got the ball everybody seemed to sit up in their seats. It’s a long time since we have had someone like that. Taylor created the first clear cut chance, when he volleyed straight at the goalkeeper, and when Tyson got the ball 25 yards out there was only one thing on his mind, however it dipped just over the bar. What a great sight to see a striker brimming with confidence. The half slowly petered out becoming more and more of a midfield battle.

The second half started with Southend having an early opportunity. Bear was caught ball watching and Eastwood got in. But, Bear recovered well to block and the follow-up shot came close but over the bar. The woman in the front row where I was seemed to have a personal vendetta against Eastwood, which kept all of us chuckling away. Then on 51 minutes the moment we’d all waited for. A corner came in, which was only partially cleared, Curtis strike was blocked and Tyson smashed across the face of goal, for it to be turned in by a Southend player. The City Ground erupted to its new hero.

Then five minutes later, the knockout punch (sorry couldn’t resist the Tyson pun). Taylor held the ball up like a target man should. Tyson’s arrival seemed to provide Taylor with a new lease of life resulting in him having probably the best game since he arrived. He played the ball out to Curtis who crossed from the by-line, for Nicky Southall to head home. We looked comfortable after that and five minutes from time the City Ground rose as one to salute a fantastic debut from Tyson.

Saturday proved to me what I have believed for months. If we get it down and play it, we will walk all over this division. Southend just could not cope when we had the ball. If we lump it, we’ll get beat. Megson, at last, was not negative and sent Forest to get the decisive second goal and not revert to 4-5-1 again. Despite not being his biggest fan, Taylor played well, and in the back three of Morgan, Breckin and Cullip we have, I believe, the best defenders in the division.

The signing of Tyson provides us with genuine pace up front, but lets not get carried away. It was a good debut, but he now has to back that up week on week, and not fall to the curse of Forest strikers. I hope we don’t sell Lester or DJ because of this signing, because they now provide quality back-up in case of problems. And the other positive is, despite being unable to win away, failing to kill off teams and not playing too well in recent weeks, we are now outside the play-offs on goal difference. And having seen Swansea and Southend this season, the message is simple: play it on the floor, start winning away and we’ll be laughing.