The Latics had to settle for a point in the Boxing Day clash with Nottingham Forest. Forest had set out their stall for a draw and although the home side had 60% of the play they couldn't find the killer punch. Chris Taylor (pictured) hit the post with a header and Forest keeper Smith made a superb save from Lee Hughes while Forest didn't have a decent shot on target. The draw means that Athletic now have a five game unbeaten run against Forest and an overall 11 match unbeaten spell in league and cup matches. Latics have to settle for a point
The Latics had to settle for a point in the Boxing Day clash with Nottingham Forest. Forest had set out their stall for a draw and although the home side had 60% of the play they couldn't find the killer punch. Chris Taylor (pictured) hit the post with a header and Forest keeper Smith made a superb save from Lee Hughes while Forest didn't have a decent shot on target. The draw means that Athletic now have a five game unbeaten run against Forest and an overall 11 match unbeaten spell in league and cup matches. Latics boss John Sheridan conceded that the result was fair overall and he told Latics World, "The best chance probably came in the first minute, when we produced a great bit of football and Chris hit the post. I think Forest came to frustrate us. I could tell that from their team selection. Whether they've come for a draw I don't know, but in a sense that pleases me because it proves we are playing well and improving as a team, and that our opponents know they will get a hard game."
"Forest are a difficult team to play against. They are well organised and that's why they are where they are. They don't let many goals in. I couldn't see us losing the game, but we didn't have that cutting edge so a draw was probably the right result. But I'm well pleased again. We played the team at the top of the league and they were no better than us, and we matched them in everything we had to do. With us being at home I'd have liked us to have created a couple more chances, but I'm not down and out. I'm just upset we couldn't win the game, because results went our way and we could have got closer to the teams above us, which gives everyone more belief we can climb further up the league."