The Rovers made the short journey down to Nottingham on a bright sunny afternoon to play an in-form Forest team, who are riding high in the table. After the scintillating display against Huddersfield town last Sunday the Rovers will be expected to get something out of today's game. They were unchanged from Sunday's game with the only changes being on the bench where Lewis Guy returns after suspension and Jason Price also takes a place. Paul Heffernan is out with a groin injury picked up in training. For the Forest, captain Ian Breckin and striker Nathan Tyson return to the starting line-up. The Rovers attacked the River Trent end in the first half.

Richie Wellens, for the Rovers, set the game in motion but it was the home team who set up the first attack only to be repulsed. The Rovers responded by setting Coppinger away down the right but his cross cum shot thudded into the side netting. Some even play followed before the Forest won the first corner of the game on 10 minutes. A free kick to the home team from thirty yards was well blocked by the Rovers wall before Coppinger, on the Rovers right, got to the byline before hitting a low, telling cross that was put out for a corner to the visitors. A second corner to the Rovers followed but nothing came of them. Five minutes later and a low cross from the Forest left had Greer stretching to put out as Agogo waited to put the ball in the net. After 23 minutes Hayter, for the Rovers, did put the ball in the net from a well worked move but he was given offside. As the half hour mark came up, Breckin and Smith on the Forest 18 yard yard line left a back pass to each other. Eventually Smith chose to kick as Coppinger closed in, the ball hit the Rovers man and, fortunately for the Forest, went out for a goal kick. A free kick to the Rovers some thirty yards out was blocked by the Forest defence and Agogo was put away down the Forest left. With the Rovers defence poorly represented at the back he had Tyson, on his own in the middle, screaming for the ball but chose to go it alone and lost out. Five minutes from the break successive corners to the home team bore no fruit  but from a goalkick by Sullivan, Hayter fed Coppinger, who had to turn his marker before firing just over the bar from outside the penalty area. Then, following a corner to the Forest, the ball came to Cohen about 15 yards out. With Sullivan's view blocked by a Forest player, who jumped over the ball, the keeper did really well to drop on the ball at the last moment. The half ended as it had begun, with the scoreline registering no goals apiece and the afore mentioned save by Sullivan the only time either keeper had been unduly troubled in an even first half where each side had cancelled each other out.

The home team opened the second half in lively fashion, with Bennett putting in a low cross from the left byline that missed everybody in the middle and then Commons having a shot from about 15 yards saved by Sullivan. The Rovers responded with the odd attack of their own but with twelve minutes gone they had to desperately defend as the Forest launched a sustained attack. They did it well. Just past the hour and a free kick for the Rovers taken by Coppinger just outside the area was blocked. The Rovers were now back in the game as Guy and Gareth Roberts were introduced to the game for Greer and McDaid. On 65 minutes, a good move down the Rovers left gave Wellens a shooting chance from outside of the area but Smith got down to save. A corner to the Rovers followed minutes later but the game had now evened out as a contest with both teams pushing for the win. The intensity of the game heightened, with decisions by the referee being queried regularly. On 78 minutes, Wilson, for the Rovers hit a 20 yards shot that hit the angle of the bar and post and Hayter's follow-up header was blocked. A minute later and Commons, on the Forest left, put a cross to the far post where Holt's header was brilliantly tipped over by Sullivan. Following the corner kick, Agogo couldn't get to a ball placed in the six yard area. Play swung from end to end as the last ten minutes ran down, with both sets of supporters urging their team on. Two minutes into added-on time and the home team won a corner on their left. It was put over to the far post where Agogo headed wide from about 8 yards. Time came with a goal-less scoreline and, for the Rovers, a well deserved point in a fiercely contested game between two evenly matched sides. 

Teams - Nottm Forest - Paul Smith; Luke Chambers, Ian Breckin, Kelvin Wilson, Julian Bennett; Sammy Clingan, Neil Lennon, Chris Cohen, Kris Commons; Junior Agogo, Nathan Tyson

Subs used - Grant Holt for Tyson 77 mins;

Subs not used - James Perch, Lewis McGugan, Emile Sinclair, Dale Roberts (GK)

ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James O'Connor, Matt Mills, Adam Lockwood, Gordon Greer, Sean McDaid; James Coppinger, Richie Wellens, Brian Stock, Mark Wilson; James Hayter

Subs used - Lewis Guy for Greer 62 mins; Gareth Roberts for McDaid 62 mins; Jason Price for Coppinger 85 mins;

Subs not used - Paul Green, Sam Hird, Cautions - Guy,