Gnohere the leveller

Burnley 1 Nottingham Forest 1

Arthur Gnohéré headed home two minutes from time to wipe out the penalty he had conceded and salvage a draw from a Burnley performance that did not look much like the stuff of successful promotion campaigns.

The defender was central to several of the key moments in a match from which Nottingham Forest, losing their better players on a weekly basis, took the more credit. Only his alert work kept Marlon Harewood, one of the bright young players in whom Forest have invested their future hopes, out until the moment midway through the second half when he clipped his heels.

Harewood had shown his pace and strength by beating Ian Cox on the left touchline and, after he had picked himself up from Gnohéré's challenge, put away the penalty without fuss.

Frustration deepened at Turf Moor with that goal and no wonder. First Division leaders at the turn of the year, Burnley have now won just one of their last nine in the League. They did finally get something from this one, however, when Gnohéré got his head to Lee Briscoe's free-kick and managed to sneak the ball low past Darren Ward into the corner of the net.

Burnley had started brightly enough, with Forest struggling to contain their aerial threat, but their best chance went begging when Gareth Taylor headed wide of an open goal when Briscoe's cross found him unmarked.

Times have been tough for an asset-stripped Forest, but the way they fought their way back into the game by half-time spoke volumes for their spirit. In the last 10 minutes of the half, they were by far the more dangerous team, with Jack Lester shooting weakly when put through by Andy Reid, Gnohéré making a goal-saving tackle on Harewood and then the lone striker lunging at Lester's cross but putting it high.

Marlon Beresford had to save splendidly from Reid's close-range volley at the start of the second half, before Burnley threatened to assert themselves once more. The otherwise subdued Glen Little ended a burst of juggling with a shot deflected off target, Cox had a header brilliantly saved and Paul Weller's terrific run was wasted by Robbie Blake's cross.

Harewood was denied by Beresford before his penalty and overall it was Forest who can take the more encouragement. "With the chances we created we should have had a couple more goals,'' said their manager, Paul Hart.

Burnley's Stan Ternent admitted that he was ultimately relieved to escape with a point. "But we should have won the game easily,'' he said. "We played well in the first half, but we aren't converting our chances.''