{"id":295075,"date":"2023-10-22T14:24:47","date_gmt":"2023-10-22T14:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/?p=295075"},"modified":"2023-10-22T14:24:47","modified_gmt":"2023-10-22T14:24:47","slug":"cooper-insists-luton-draw-showed-forests-best-premier-league-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/soccer\/cooper-insists-luton-draw-showed-forests-best-premier-league-football\/","title":{"rendered":"Cooper insists Luton draw showed Forest's best Premier League football"},"content":{"rendered":"
Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper said his side’s best performance since returning to the Premier League was ruined by Luton’s fightback in Saturday’s 2-2 draw.<\/p>\n
Forest were on course to snap a four-game winless run after Chris Wood’s second-half double at the City Ground had them 2-0 up with seven minutes remaining.<\/p>\n
But Chiedozie Ogbene threw Luton a late lifeline after Forest failed to clear Hatters debutant Andros Townsend’s free-kick and substitute Elijah Adebayo fired in a stoppage-time equaliser.<\/p>\n
Cooper, whose side are now winless in five, said: ‘If that game does not change on a set-piece, that’s what everyone would be talking about – how good we were, the football we played, the chances we created and the goals we scored, individual performances.<\/p>\n
‘But all of that, and rightly so, will get overlooked because of the way the game has ended and the score line.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Steve Cooper claimed Nottingham Forest’s performance against Luton prior to conceding two late goals was their best since returning to the Premier League<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Chris Wood netted twice the second half to give the hosts a two-goal lead at the City Ground<\/p>\n
Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n
‘Everybody’s frustrated. Game-plan was great, the lads carried it out brilliantly. If it finishes 2-0 we’d be sitting here saying that’s the best we’ve played since we’ve come into the league. It’s a real pity.’<\/p>\n
A frustrating afternoon for Forest was compounded with news that absent pair Callum Hudson-Odoi and Divock Origi have joined fellow forward Taiwo Awoniyi on a growing injury list to leave Cooper short of attacking options.<\/p>\n
Cooper added: ‘(Hudson-Odoi) is out for six weeks, he’s pulled his hamstring and Divock’s got a hip injury, so that’s going to rule him out for another two weeks as well.’<\/p>\n
Luton, back in the top flight after a 31-year absence, notched their fifth point of the season to edge further clear of the bottom three.<\/p>\n
Rob Edwards’ side registered their first league win since promotion via the play-offs at Everton at the end of last month before successive narrow home defeats to Burnley and Tottenham.<\/p>\n
After Adebayo’s late leveller denied Forest, a delighted Edwards hailed his players’ never-say-die spirit and insisted it came as no surprise to him.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But Luton fought back in the closing stages and equalised in stoppage time through Elijah Adebayo<\/p>\n
The former Forest Green manager said: ‘We’ve got to keep doing that as what’s the point in being here if you’re just going to give up and roll over at 2-0 down?<\/p>\n
‘That just shows we’re capable of coming back, we’re capable of sticking our hand in the fire and pulling out a result.<\/p>\n
‘We can lean on that today and we can really use that going forward.<\/p>\n
‘It doesn’t surprise me, it doesn’t surprise me at all.<\/p>\n
‘I know we’re capable of it and it’s good we’ve shown everyone else we’re capable of it today.’<\/p>\n
It’s All Kicking Off\u00a0is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.<\/span><\/p>\n It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify<\/span><\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n