Source: Daily_Mail
Middlesbrough 1 Nottingham Forest 1: Dele Adebola to the rescue
A draw which does neither club any favours, but the look of the two managers at the final whistle said it all.[LNB]Delighted Billy Davies punched the air and had a real stride in his step as he walked over to acknowledge 3,000 delirious travelling fans. The Forest boss left the Riverside feeling mightily relieved, and lucky, after Dele Adebola's injury-time equaliser took Forest up into fourth and rescued a game which should have been out of their reach.[LNB]His opposite Tony Mowbray hardly looks the happiest man in the world at the best of times. And after yet another late goal slipped by his rookie side, piling even more misery on the Championship's pre-season favourites, the Boro boss looked totally dejected. [LNB] Halted: Jonathan Grounds (left) prevents Forest's Earnshaw from getting a strike at goal[LNB]He has now seen his side throw away 20 points in the last ten minutes ofgames and by the time he turned to the tunnel, the Riverside seats werealmost all deserted.[LNB]Davies admitted: 'I apologised to Tony on the touchline and told him that we didn't deserve it. But things have not gone our way for the last few weeks. Tonight we got a break, but I admit, we didn't deserve it.[LNB]'I have told Dele, by the end of his season, that could be one of the most important goals he has scored in his career.[LNB]'We are coming to end of a very difficult run and we have to take a deep breath, get to the international break and then I will give them about 13 days off. We are missing half a dozen players and hopefully a few will be back by then for the right remaining matches.'[LNB] Full stretch: Forest's Garath McCleary (left) tries to skip past Grounds' challenge[LNB] Scott McDonald's eighth goal of the season gave Middlesbrough a deserved lead six minutes into the second half and looked destined to give them their first win over Forest since 1973.[LNB]The Australia international hammered his shot into the roof of the net to complete a move featuring Leroy Lita's strong run and Julio Arca's deft touch from his cross.[LNB]But it was the home side's inability to add to that lead that inevitably cost them and Davies had keeper Lee Camp to thank for five excellent saves to keep Forest in the game until those desperate final minutes.[LNB]Camp keep out an Arca drive, a clever Tony McMahon free-kick, a close range effort from Andrew Taylor, and shots from much further out from Taylor and Barry Robson. Robson also hit the outside of his post with a deflected shot and McDonald the sidenetting.[LNB] Check mate: Boro's Nicky Bailey holds off Forest's Paul McKenna (right)[LNB] Davies added: 'He has been doing that week in, week out.[LNB]'He is top class but that is what he does.'[LNB]As it had on so many occasions this season, particularly since David Wheater's departure coincided with another serious injury for Matthew Bates, Middlesbrough's inexperience at the back caught up with them.[LNB]Davies threw bodies forward in the dying minutes and between them Taylor, Joe Bennett and keeper Jason Steele, a virtual spectator all night, failed to deal with an innocuous long ball into the area. Adebola and Taylor crashed into each other, the loose ball looped over Steele and limped apologetically over the line.[LNB]Mowbray said: 'It was a very cruel result and we've had one or two of them. But it was a performance full of desire, energy and appetite and we'll take the positives from that. But we've lost too many late goals.'[LNB]Boro are now six points clear of the danger zone, and still rooted to 20th in the Championship. A win would have taken them eight clear of Scunthorpe, and up two places and just made everyone on Teesside, including Mowbray, feeling a whole lot better about life.[LNB] Forest boss Davies insists club have made no approach for Newcastle midfielder GuthrieMiddlesbrough 0 QPR 3: Heidar Helguson at the double as Rangers close in on promotion Explore more:People: Dele Adebola, Lee Camp, Andrew Taylor, Leroy Lita, Billy Davies, Tony Mowbray, David Wheater Places: Australia
