Gary Gardner denies Wolves with brilliant free-kick
A superb free-kick from on-loan Aston Villa man Gary Gardner denied Wolves victory at Nottingham Forest, as the home side fought back from behind to claim a 1-1 draw at the City Ground.
Gardner bent a spectacular shot into the corner of the net from 22 yards, 10 minutes after Joe Mason's equally impressive 58th-minute strike, also curled into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, had given Kenny Jackett's side the lead.
Forest looked the more likely to snatch all three points in their final home game of the campaign, but Wolves held out for a share of the spoils, to leave both sides frustrated following a disappointing Championship season for both of them.
Forest midfielder Gardner almost enhanced his reputation for scoring spectacular long-range goals with a driven effort that dipped into the top of the net, after taking a deflection. Dave Edwards demonstrated similar ambition for Wolves, coming close with a dipping shot from the edge of the box.
With both sides working hard to close down and limit space when the opposition were in possession, there was a scrappy opening to the game. But Forest burst into life briefly as Dexter Blackstock sent a header over the bar following a decent attack down the left flank and Chris Cohen's low shot flew a foot wide of the post from the edge of the box.
Joe Mason came close with a driven effort from just outside the box, on the left side, which cleared the angle of post and bar by only a small margin.
But Forest were enjoying a good spell with a clever ball from Ben Osborn almost laying on a close range header for Henri Lansbury, who was inches away from making contact. When Eric Lichaj delivered to the near post from the right flank, Lansbury did connect, but flicked wide.
The final touch of the first half saw Gardner's crisp low shot cleared off the line, after Carl Ikeme had only weakly pushed away a header from Blackstock.
Wolves came close via a Matt Doherty header, which flew the wrong side of the post, five minutes after the interval. While Danny Batth then saw a slotted effort swept away off the line by Mills, as the visitors enjoyed a good spell.
The pressure was to tell in the 58th minute, when the visitors took the lead. Mason looked to have just beaten the offside trap when he collected the ball on the right side - and he still had plenty of work to do, bending a delightful left foot shot across Dorus de Vries and inside the far post.
Substitute Oliver Burke almost made an immediate impact, firing into the side netting from a tight angle for Forest. But Henry should have got a second for Wolves when a quick break left him with only de Vries to beat, only for the winger to fire inches wide.
When Edwards conceded a free kick outside the Wolves box, Fox and Gardner both shaped to take it - but it was Gardner who was to bend the ball over the wall and inside the far post, to supply a spectacular 68th-minute equaliser.
Gardner almost had an almost instant second when he sent a half-volley fizzing just wide, from almost the same spot. And Burke came close again, when Lichaj picked him out in the centre, with the teenager seeing his shot charged down.
Forest looked the more likely to get a winner, but Conor Coady almost snatched it for Wolves, with a bouncing shot that had de Vries looking nervous as it skipped wide.
Source: PA
