Nottingham Forest recovered from a goal down to hold draw-specialists Swansea 1-1 at the City Ground.
Forest earn another priceless point in survival bid
Nottingham Forest recovered from a goal down to hold draw-specialists Swansea 1-1 at the City Ground.
Jason Scotland's 20th goal of the season had fired the visitors in front, but Lewis McGugan snatched a 75th-minute leveller to ensure the points would be shared.
Forest have now gone three games unbeaten, but remain just four points above the drop, while Swansea have drawn their last three and sit two points outside the play-off places.
The draw was no less than Forest deserved as the hosts played with real urgency, especially early in each half, and forced a number of fine saves from Swans keeper Dorus De Vries.
Billy Davies' men came into the game on the back of consecutive wins against Reading and Preston and their confidence was evident as they came flying out of the traps.
The visitors failed to properly clear a corner and Luke Chambers found space on the right to pull the ball back to Robert Earnshaw, but the Welshman's snapshot on the turn flew high over the bar from 10 yards.
Paul Anderson was next to go close for the hosts in the fourth minute when he cut inside from the right channel and fired a fierce 25-yard effort just wide of the far post with his left foot.
At the other end Kelvin Wilson had to be alert to cut out Angel Rangel's low volleyed cross with Scotland ready to pounce just behind him.
Swansea gradually began to get their neat passing game going, with Rangel finding plenty of space down the right and Scotland looking lively up front.
The Trinidad and Tobago international's clever flick picked out Joe Allen's run into the area which went unchecked, but his cross was cut out.
Isaiah Osbourne, who impressed in the Forest midfield, then saw his left-footed effort from 25 yards in the 22nd minute clip the top of the crossbar with De Vries beaten.
Debut
Gary McSheffrey, signed on loan from Birmingham in the week, came close to marking his Reds debut with a goal in the 45th minute when his volleyed effort from Anderson's deep cross from the left flew back across goal but agonisingly wide of the far post.
Swansea players were out a good couple of minutes early for the second half, but it was Forest who carved out the first opening.
Chambers' low cross from the right was not cut out and found Chris Cohen on the far side of the area, but his fierce effort was tipped acrobatically over the bar by De Vries.
The stopper then stood up to block Earnshaw's effort after the one-time Cardiff man had turned his marker in the area.
Roberto Martinez's men were rocking, but a touch of class from Jordi Gomez in the 61st minute put them ahead.
The Spaniard's beautiful spooned pass from the edge of the 18-yard box picked out Guillem Bauza's run into the left of the area and he outmuscled his marker before lifting a cross over keeper Paul Smith to the far post where Scotland was on hand to help the ball into the net.
Allen was then lucky to escape with a yellow card for a lunge at Osbourne before Forest drew level.
Joel Lynch's accurate cross from the left was headed home at the near post by McGugan.
Gomez saw his low shot tipped round the post by Smith and Earnshaw was denied by the feet of De Vries as both sides looked for a winner in the closing stages, but neither could find one.
