Tyson's Forest knock out Addicks
Posted 06/01/07 17:05
Nathan Tyson delivered a knockout blow to Charlton's FA Cup hopes
as Nottingham Forest sailed into the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-0
win. New Charlton boss Alan Pardew had hoped a good run in the
competition might help lift his struggling side out of the
Premiership relegation zone.
Instead he must now haul his players off the canvas, after
Tyson-inspired Forest ran riot and all but sealed their passage
before half-time with two well taken goals.
Junior Agogo and Grant Holt both hit the net in a thrilling
four-minute spell, with Tyson's surging performance down the left
flank causing chaos among the visitors' back line.
Forest's thumping 5-0 defeat at Oldham one week ago showed just how
hard are the times they have fallen upon since their last
appearance in an FA Cup final in 1991.
But Colin Calderwood's men still looked good value for an upset
against a Charlton side, whose mini-resurgence under new boss
Pardew came to an abrupt end at Arsenal last week.
While the Addicks' patched-up line-up struggled to settle, Forest
made light of Kris Commons' injury to give Tyson a shot in the wide
left berth for the first time this season.
Calderwood's gamble would prove good enough to book Forest a place
in round four, via what some supporters of the former European
Cup-winners may baulk at being described as a traditional
giant-killing.
Tyson proved far too much of a handful for temporary defender
Radostin Kishishev, and his influence helped Agogo and Holt launch
early runs towards the Charlton box.
Tyson burst into the left side of the box and delivered a powerful
low cross which was hacked away by Jonathan Fortune; then he almost
got on the end of a through-ball from Holt.
Charlton's crisp passing moves were having little impact, and
Dennis Rommedahl tried his luck, cutting in from the left flank and
firing high over the bar.
Tyson showed his threat again in the 17th minute by running half
the length of the field and steam-rollering Kishishev along the way
before finally being stopped in the box by Tahar El Karkouri.
Forest spurned the best chance of the game so far in the 21st
minute when Tyson crossed from the left, and James Perch connected
to flash a header across the face of goal from point-blank
range.
Marcus Bent almost made Forest pay at the other end with a 20-yard
snap-shot which Smith had to parry up over his bar for the first
corner of the game.
Pardew made what appeared to be a tactical change in a bid to cope
with Tyson's significant threat as he withdrew Amady Faye and
slotted Souleyman Diawara in at centre-back.
But moments later, Forest kicked off that dramatic four-minute
spell which left the home side on course for the fourth round and
Charlton facing another humiliation.
The excellent Perch crossed from deep on the right, and Agogo got
in behind Diawara to sweep the ball under Thomas Myhre and into the
net to give Forest a 28th minute lead.
Two minutes later the magnificent Tyson fired in a cross from the
opposite flank which clattered defender Fortune and screwed up to
hit his own bar before squirting to safety.
But rampant Forest extended their lead in the 32nd minute when
Nicky Southall whipped in a curling free-kick from the right, and
Holt rose above Diawara to head home Forest's second.
The shell-shocked visitors were suddenly embroiled in a
damage-limitation exercise - but despite a period of possession,
they mustered no new chances to get back into the match.
Charlton needed a good start to the second half and they almost got
it when Bent connected with Rommedahl's left-wing cross but saw his
powerful drive blocked by Ian Breckin.
But their comeback bid quickly petered out, and their best chance
came in the 78th minute when Gary Holt almost deflected the ball
past his own goalkeeper.
Long before the final whistle, the visitors' body language proved
they were resigned to their fate as Forest eased to a thoroughly
deserved victory.
