Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche cut a frustrated figure after his side slipped to a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Braga on Matchday 7 of the Europa League, with Super Eagles right back Ola Aina in action.
Forest had a golden chance to take control of the game when Morgan Gibbs White failed to convert from the penalty spot. Moments later, the hosts struck at the other end. Milenkovic lost a soft challenge in the box and a low cross across the six yard area deflected off the shins of Ryan Yates and into his own net. It was a chaotic spell that proved costly, leaving Forest trailing in a game they had largely controlled.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Sean Dyche said: “Very frustrating. I saw one minute of madness in a game where we never really looked in trouble. We didn’t dominate as much as we hoped, or open them up as many times as we hoped. Also playing without a recognised centre-forward can make it tricky. We miss a penalty, but that can happen, and then the reaction is nowhere near good enough for the next minute or so and we lose the game to what is a really poor goal.”
Sean Dyche also pointed to his side’s response after conceding. “You see it happen, they get a lift, the crowd go mad. We knock off for a minute, go chasing the ball, they get lucky with a bobble into the box and that can happen. Then an unfortunate situation for Ryan Yates. Very frustrated. I think the tempo of the game – we got sucked into playing slow. Didn’t really affect the backline as many times as we hoped. We got the penalty, and it is one of those games if you seal that.”
The Forest boss insisted his players are still fully committed to their European campaign. “We want to do well in this competition, we still do, of course. They are working ever so hard in training. To come here, we suspect to step on and that is the kind of thing we are waiting for, that feeling to take the game on, and it never really occurred. You might come away with a draw, but you shouldn’t really lose that game. One minute of madness cost us the game. I don’t think they had a real chance, then we had a goalmouth scramble and even that can’t go in.”
Ryan Yates, whose own goal settled the contest, struck a more reflective but upbeat tone afterward. “Very disappointing. I feel we controlled most parts of the game. A very good team away from home. I thought we stifled them in the first half. We had opportunities to make a breakthrough, we don’t. Then, I unfortunately make a mistake at the other end. Then we could never get a foothold in the game after that. When you get handed an opportunity and you don’t take it, you get punished. I have to hold my hands up. I should have done better.”
He added, “We are frustrated as I think we have done enough to win the game. Frustrating when results don’t go your way. We have missed an opportunity and that’s why we’re frustrated – not that we were terrible on the night. Fine margins. We have to keep working and put that right. We are still in a solid position in the competition. No negativity in the dressing room, that’s for sure.”
The loss leaves Nottingham Forest with just one win in their last eight matches in all competitions. Competing in Europe for the first time in 30 years, Forest sit 15th in the 36 team standings and are three points outside the automatic last 16 places, knowing they cannot afford any more slip ups in their final group game.
