Nottingham Forest beat Ipswich Town 2-1 on Saturday.
Nottingham Forest attacker Joe Lolley lit up the City Ground on Saturday, as he contributed greatly to his side’s come-from-behind late victory over manager-less Ipswich Town in a pulsating Championship encounter.
Nottingham Forest headed into the encounter having failed to find the net in six successive league matches, prompting several supporters to question the attacking methods of boss Aitor Karanka.
For long spells it looked like it come become seven on the spin as Ipswich frustrated the hosts, but Forest finally broke the barren run with former Huddersfield Town ace Lolley at the heart of it all.
After Ben Brereton scored an 89th minute equaliser from the spot, Lolley sent the home fans into raptures as he coolly volleyed in from the striker’s cross with only a matter of seconds left on the clock.
| Goals | Shots | Chances Created | Successful Dribbles | Touches | Pass-accuracy | Ball Recoveries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Lolley | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 55 | 82.8% | 4 |
As shown by the above Opta table, the 25-year-old was a constant thorn in Ipswich’s side – and his contribution late into stoppage time was just reward for his outstanding individual performance.
Lolley tested the goalkeeper on the three occasions, recorded two key passes and three successful take-ons as Nottingham Forest looked to get him on the ball as much as possible – evident by his impressive 55 touches.
The attacking winger joined Karanka’s side on a four-and-a-half-year deal on deadline day, and considering he had six Premier League appearances under his belt at Huddersfield this term, he represented a potential bargain.
Lolley possesses an abundance of raw talent and he has largely played well despite Nottingham Forest’s poor run of form, suggesting that a lack of goals isn’t likely to dent his confidence – unlike some other wingers in the Championship.
If the Reds can find a way to regularly get him up against the opposition fullback, the tricky winger has the ability to beat him all ends up, and against Ipswich he proved he has what it takes to be a genuine match-winner.
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