Nottingham Forest forced to settle for draw against QPR but now unbeaten in 13
Nottingham Forest stretched their unbeaten run to 13 matches, but will consider the 0-0 draw with QPR as two points dropped as the City Ground woodwork twice conspired against them.
Robert Tesche and Ben Osborn both saw first-half efforts rebound off the goal frame as Rangers frustrated the men in red, while Hoops midfielder James Perch was also denied by the combination of Dorus De Vries and bar in a game neither side really deserved to win.
Forest manager Dougie Freedman continued with his rotation policy, bringing Chris O'Grady, Nelson Oliveira and Ryan Mendes back into the side at the expense of Saturday match-winner Jamie Ward, plus Gary Gardner and Oliver Burke, while Alejandro Faurlin replaced Karl Henry as QPR made just the one change.
After a cagey opening quarter of an hour, it was QPR who finally had the first sighter on goal, when Sebastian Polter laid in Junior Hoilett, whose low effort was tipped past a post by Forest keeper De Vries.
Freedman's side responded five minutes later when Michael Mancienne's bullet header from Tesche's corner was acrobatically saved by Alex Smithies in the Hoops goal.
Forest kept up the pressure and Osborn cracked a shot against Smithies' right-hand post, before O'Grady's strike was defected behind for a corner.
The woodwork again saved QPR two minutes later as Tesche's 30-yard thunderbolt crashed against the top of the bar.
Polter headed Hoilett's cross narrowly wide, before the latter tested De Vries five minutes shy of the break, with the Dutchman punching the ball to safety.
De Vries was called upon again to fist away a Martin Phillips effort, although Forest broke away and Oliveira drew a low save out of Smithies.
It had been a busy few minutes for De Vries and in first-half injury time, he brilliantly saved former Red Perch's free-kick from the edge of the box, diving to his left and flicking the ball up on to the bar and away.
O'Grady's effort brought Smithies into action early in the second half and moments later he was replaced by Ward, as Freedman also introduced Burke into the fray in place of Mendes, as the Forest boss sought to input some fresh impetus.
Burke almost made an instant impact as he was sent clear by Ward, but his first touch took him away from goal and from a more acute angle than he would have liked, his effort was saved by Smithies.
QPR brought on recent big-money signing Conor Washington, with Hoilett coming off, but chances for both sides tailed off as one nullified the other, although the former Peterborough man's pace gave the Forest defence a few anxious moments.
Burke went on a jinking run but shot wide as the game entered the final 15 minutes, while Mancienne did well to block Washington's effort as the game petered out into a goalless draw.
Source: PA
