Team News From The Forest Camp

Last updated : 03 March 2008 By Thetashkentterror

Chris Cohen
Forest midfielder Chris Cohen spoke to the Nottingham Evening Post about this evening's big televised promotion clash against the Cumbrians at the City Ground, Cohen suggesting that the home crowd can play a big part in proceedings tonight :


"They all become so important because you are not just picking up three points, you are stopping them from picking up three points so instead of coming in looking for their results, you know they have lost. Carlisle are going well but if we can take a win and move above them then mentally it will be a boost for us."

"It is nice to play on the television and you don't get the opportunity too often in the lower divisions. It is a massive opportunity to show what we can do and not only for the crowd that are coming but the people watching on TV. It is always important for us and gives us another man.

"Look at the attendance in League One and when most go away it is usually in front of five, six or seven thousand yet Carlisle are coming here and going to be playing in front of 26,000 or 27,000. If the crowd can be behind us then great although I know during games they sometimes get frustrated.

"We can understand that but it is difficult when teams come here and sit back. It is sometimes difficult to open them up in the first half when they are tight but as they get more tired, if we come in at 0-0 we feel so capable of winning games. We have shown that in many games when we have won it in the second half.

"At the start of games you come out and the crowd is massive, cheering and behind you and there are not going to be many players who have played in front of that. We are lucky enough to do that a few times a season when they lower the ticket prices. We need the same performance as in the last one (against Southend)."


Meanwhile Tricky Trees defender Luke Chambers commented :

"Everything is positive and ten points out of twelve, we would take that any day of the week. The way we have performed after the defeat to Bournemouth is very encouraging and we hope to have turned the corner. The way we have performed defensively in the last few games means teams have probably had about two shots. We have done well in that term but we have some tough home games this month and tough away trips.

"It is a big game. We cannot wait and we do not like missing Saturday games because it messes your routine a little bit but we will do everything we can to beat one of our main rivals for promotion. If we beat them it is all in our hands. If you are going to get promotion you have to beat teams you are challenging with."


Forest have few injury concerns ahead of the game with only striker Nathan Tyson and centre-half Ian Breckin definitely out of the match. Striker Tyson is sidelined with a hamstring injury while club captain Breckin is serving a one-match suspension for picking up five yellow cards. Meanwhile forward Will Hoskins, on-loan at the City Ground from Watford, faces a late fitness test on a back problem.


The referee for tonight's match is Premier League level Martin Atkinson from Leeds, and he will be assisted down the lines by Dave Bryan from Stamford in Lincolnshire and Adam Watts from Kidderminster in Worcestershire. Meanwhile the fourth official will be Stuart Attwell from Nuneaton in Warwickshire.