County Ground Saturday, July 31st, 2010   1st Team Friendly Attendance: 3,799       Swindon Town 3-2 Nottingham Forest
2010 /11

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KELVIN Wilson’s second-half own goal condemned Forest to defeat in their final pre-season friendly, at League One Swindon Town. Wilson put through his own net with the score at 2-2, after Garath McCleary had struck twice in four minutes, to equalize and then put Forest ahead, in an entertaining first half. Forest welcomed back Wilson after he recovered from a shin injury in time to face Swindon. The Robins, managed by former Forest midfielder Danny Wilson, also included another ex-Red in their line-up at the County Ground, in the shape of new signing David Prutton. Forest had the first chance, after four minutes, with Dele Adebola just failing to get on the end of Robert Earnshaw’s flick from McCleary’s right-wing cross. But it was Swindon who took the lead three minutes later, after Chris Cohen lost out to Vincent Pericard in his own area and Kevin Amankwaah’s precise cut-back left trialist Thomas Dossevi with the simple task of shooting past Lee Camp. Forest were level after 21 minutes as Kelvin Wilson’s quick free-kick released Chris Gunter down the right and his cross was turned into the roof of the net by McCleary arriving at the back post. And Forest were ahead four minutes later. Earnshaw released McCleary one-on-one with Michael Rose and after McCleary turned inside his shot deflected off Rose past the stranded David Lucas in the Swindon goal. Incredibly, four minutes later it was 2-2, with Togo international Dossevi again on the scoresheet. Jon-Paul McGovern sent a cross over from the right-wing and Dossevi got above Luke Chambers to power his header into Camp’s top left-hand corner. And Swindon were unlucky not go into half-time ahead after Cuthbert struck the Forest crossbar just before the interval. Wilson’s misdirected header handed the home side a corner and David Ball’s kick was headed against the bar by Cuthbert, with Pericard just failing to get on the end of the rebound. Earnshaw missed a glorious chance to put Forest ahead two minutes after the break. The striker ran onto Chambers’s long clearance, but, under pressure from Lecsinel Jean-Francois, pulled his shot wide of Swindon sub keeper Phil Smith’s left-hand post. The home side took the lead after 67 minutes after good work by Rose down the left wing and his driven cross was sliced into his own net in by Wilson from close range, giving Camp no chance. Several substitutions left Forest with a young side as Billy Davies looked to protect his players ahead of Saturday’s Championship opener at Burnley And sub keeper Karl Darlow then pulled off a great save, tipping Sean Morrison’s header over the bar from McGovern’s left-wing corner, as Swindon looked for a fourth late on. Forest: Camp (capt) (Darlow, 78), Gunter (Moloney, 75), Cohen, Chambers, Wilson (Freeman 84), McCleary, Moussi (Gibbons, 78), McGugan (Thornhill, 62), Majewski (Bennett, 71), Earnshaw (Rodney, 65), Adebola (Mullen, 78). Scorer: McCleary 21 mins, 25 mins. Swindon: Lucas (Smith, 45), Cuthbert, Rose (Morrison, 69), Douglas (capt), McGovern (Kennedy, 85), Pericard (Timlin, 62), Prutton (O’Brien, 72), Amankwaah, Ball (Bodin, 75), Jean-Francois, Dossevi (Austin, 45). Subs not used: Thompson, Evans. Scorers: Dossevi 8 mins, 29 mins, Wilson o.g. 67 mins. Referee: Andy Woolmer Attendance: 3,799