Arteta says Mudryk goal was 'very strange'

Steve Cooper admits that Nottingham Forest’s 2-2 draw with Luton felt more like a loss at the City Ground.

Two goals from Chris Wood had put Forest in control, only for the home side to be undone by two moments of poor defending, as Luton scored twice in the final seven minutes to secure a point.

In the 83rd minute Chiedozie Ogbene drove home after Forest had failed to deal with a simple free-kick, before Elijah Adebayo netted in the 92nd minute, after bullying his way into a shooting chance in the penalty area.

Forest had created enough chances to have killed the game off, with Wood missing two good opportunities while having another effort ruled out for offside, while Ibrahim Sangare also missed a golden chance.

But Cooper was more frustrated by his side’s defending late on, as they allowed Luton back into it.

“It was a real pity and that is why we are disappointed. You can try to pick the bones out of things in detail, but the reality is that we have given a poor free-kick away, we have not defended a poor delivery and then the momentum changes,” he said.

“It was moments in the game that decided things, which was not a reflection of our general play. It feels like a loss - two points dropped, for sure.

“We were disappointed not to have been leading by one or two goals at half-time. We talked about one or two things we could do better during the interval.

“We got the early goal and then made it 2-0 - but then the game changed on a set-piece. It was probably Luton’s worst set-piece delivery of the day, but it ended up in the back of our net - and that was a real momentum changer.”

There was frustration surrounding the second goal as well, as Adebayo wriggled away from Forest sub Joe Worrall to score.

“For the second goal we were not strong enough, there was no pressure on the ball. We were not strong enough with the aerial ball, which was clear to see,” said Cooper. “It was a pity the way it ended, because it had been a comfortable game for us.

“Woody did really well getting two goals as well and he might have had a hat-trick. If that game does not change on the set-pieces, that is what everyone would be talking about - how good we were and the chances we created.

“We would have been talking about the goals we scored and individual performances. But, rightly so, they will get overlooked because of the way the game finished and the final scoreline.

“Everyone is frustrated, myself included and all the way through. Everyone. The game plan was great, the players carried it out brilliantly. If it had finished 2-0 I think we would have been talking about how well we had played.

“It is a real pity that the game ended how it has, but we blame nobody but ourselves. That is clear, because of the mistakes we made. We have to accept it.”

ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57y6KtnmWSobyov46pqZ6lmZq%2FbrjEmp6unV2jsri%2FjK6nnZmkmsBuuMivnGakkamytMCOfaeTanaClqa%2Fq5qxaHmCl4GsgNmSeXGFo2Q%3D