N Forest 2 – 2 Leicester

Facundo Buonanotte’s late goal earned an already-relegated Leicester City a 2-2 draw at the City Ground to dent Nottingham Forest’s Champions League ambitions.

A point was all that was needed to secure a top-seven finish for Nuno Espirito’s side, meaning they end a 29-year wait for European football.

However, one point could have been all three before Buonanotte cancelled out Chris Wood’s 20th goal of the season with just nine of the 90 minutes remaining.

A late setback means that Forest have failed to capitalise on Chelsea’s 2-0 loss at Newcastle on Sunday afternoon and stay outside of the top five Champions League qualification spots. Forest Frustrations boiled over after full-time when owner Evangelos Marinakis entered the field of play, voicing his concerns towards boss Nuno.

On an afternoon that placed Forest on the brink of history, a rampant City Ground played into early nerves. Forest were pegged back and punished for a sloppy start when Conor Coady anticipated a Mats Sels parry from a Bilal El Khannouss effort, to head home.

But an inspired Morgan Gibbs-White took the impetus as he rose highest to head in a captain’s goal to bring his side level nine minutes later. The scorer of the first Forest goal turned provider of what the City Ground thought was enough to be a winner, when his peach of a cross was powered home by Wood.

But Buonanotte, a 61st-minute substitute, replacing Jordan Ayew, showed tremendous composure as he wound through a chasing Forest defence to level things up.

The dying periods belonged to Leicester, who came close to a winning goal but a late Sels save to deny Jeremy Monga spared Forest any late embarrassment.

Why did Forest owner Marinakis storm onto the pitch at FT?

Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo to Sky Sports:

“It was due to the situation. There was a confusion over the situation of [Taiwo Awoniyi].

“There was frustration to play 10 minutes with a player who had so much confidence and being positive that he’s going to score.

“We made the sub, then played with one man less. That causes frustration, it’s obvious.

“Football is emotions. It’s difficult to control, especially when we had so much expectation today.

“The fans were incredible, we wanted to proceed the fight. It’s not in our hands now, we appreicate the effort of the players and enthusiasm of the fans.

“It’s not in our hands, but it’s not over.”

Gibbs-White: Last few games ‘not good enough’

Forest midfielder Gibbs-White did not pull any punches when reacting to his side’s underwhelming draw. Forest have now failed to win in any of their last four games.

“These past three or four games have just not been good enough,” Gibbs White told Sky Sports.

“We played well on the ball today, but we can’t concede two goals like that today. It’s just frustrating.”

Gibbs-White pointed to his side’s lack of experience when explaining his side’s recent wobble.

“None of us have been in this situation before. We handled it well at first, but as it’s started to come away from us we haven’t handled it so well.

“It’s down to experience, maybe, in these positions, but we’re new to it. We’re still building as a team and a club.

“If you’d have said at the start of the season we’d secure Europe with two games to go, we’d have snatched your hand off.

“We have to look at it in a positive way, but also recognise the opportunity was there.”

All the action as Leicester snatch late draw

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