210 Record Part 2 (1/2)
Chapter 210: Record Part 2
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After another week of polishing their coordination, Forest welcomed Aston Villa on their home ground.
In that match, Nottingham forest started with the same formation as the previous away match against Blackburn Rovers. But Tang En saw new hope during the match; the players were improving in their positional awareness and coordination during give and go. This meant that he was right to persist in this direction during their trainings.
However, it was not all smooth-sailing during the match. Surrounded by the deafening cheers of their fans, Forest initially intended to take advantage and launched a fierce attack on Aston Villa in hopes of nailing the first goal.
But the first goal was made by the away team instead! Only four minutes into the match, the Swedish National team's Olof Mellberg from Aston Villa took a long kick that blasted through the posts guarded by Darren Ward. In an instant, the whole of City Ground lapsed into silence.
The song had only begun, and Forest had already lost a ball. Spectators without seats only turned to look at the scoreboard when they heard fans from the away team cheer, becoming surprised by the score.
0:1! The home team Nottingham Forest was behind!
Would this end the same way as the previous match? Would Forest's return to the Premier League after four years begin with two straight defeats?
The cameras turned to focus on Tony Twain in the manager's seat. Since the beginning in January 2003, this man had rapidly became the favorite coach of Forest's fans. His secret lay in how he could always manage to bring victory to Forest's fans when it was most needed. As the youngest manager in the current season of the Premier League—a mere 35-year-old—many people were sceptical of his ability and whether or not he could lead the team in their battles in the Premier League.
Turning to look at David Kerslake beside him, Tang En said nothing. Out of habit, he still thought the man sitting there would be Des Walker. When Walker had left, he had said that he felt his abilities were not enough for the Premier League, which was why he needed to go train on his own.
What about Tony Twain, then? He did not doubt himself. His confidence was necessary, even if he may appear ignorant at times. But the situation was forcing his hand to prove himself again. So, he turned again to Kerslake and said, ”There's nothing to worry about. We still have 86 minutes to level the score and overtake it.”
Assistant manager Kerslake nodded. Tang En was right. It was much better to lose a ball in the first four minutes of the match than in the last four minutes. As a foregone conclusion, this was much better than the alternative. Aston Villa, who was leading, became more reserved. Clearly, they had not expected to be able to lead the match by a point as early as the first half of the game. Olof Mellberg was a center back; for him to rush forward and take a long shot was unusual.
As Aston Villa relaxed momentarily, Forest grabbed hold of the opportunity and counter-attacked, putting the flow of the match entirely in their control.
Finally, at the 38th minute, under enormous stress with wave after wave of attacks from Forest, Aston Villa's defensive line made a mistake. A sharp break on the left wing from Ribéry allowing a pass to the center caused center back Martin Laursen to slip up under pressure, heading the ball into his own goal!
An own goal!