Forest boss slams defending in thrilling win over Wigan

Nottingham Forest boss Philippe Montanier is demanding his players eliminate costly defensive errors from their game.

The Frenchman was left angry after watching Forest battle to a tense 4-3 win over Wigan Athletic thanks to Thomas Lam’s dramatic 93rd minute winner.

He was left furious after the Reds had allowed Wigan to level on three separate occasions.

“I am happy with the win, but we gave Wigan too many chances to hurt us and I cannot accept that.” he said.

“When you make a mistake you have to learn from it, not just do it again.

“When we attack we have to get the right balance, we have to defend as a team and get the mentality right.

“We are making individual defensive errors at the moment and that is something we have to get rid of quickly.

“It is important defenders do not take too many risk and make errors. We have the players to change things, we just have to get the right mentality.”

Frustrated Wigan boss Gary Caldwell was left to lamenting his side’s shaky rearguard and the match officials.

“I am very disappointed and angry that we have lost this game,” he said.

“We played well, but it is no good playing well and getting nothing from the game.

“All four goals we conceded were avoidable and there are times when you just have to dig in.

“We did not get any help from the officials today. Lam fouled Will Grigg just before the goal.

“He has followed through and Grigg is not the sort of player to go down for no reason. The

linesman was there but has done nothing.

“The officials have not done their job. We have got nothing today and it is very disappointing.”

Forest got off to the perfect start when Britt Assombalonga took advantage of Dan Burn’s woefully underhit backpass to slot home on six minutes.

Michael Jacobs rounded off a superb passing move to drag the Latics level on 11 minutes.

Forest nearly went ahead six minute later after Matty Cash cracked an effort against the post before Pajtim Kasami’s follow-up was blocked.

Adam Bogdan tipped Apostolos Vellios’ first-time shot around the post on 23 minutes, before Oliver Burke failed to convert a one-on-on after more poor defending by Burn.

Ben Osborn dragged a shot wide on 30 minutes, before Kasami fired just wide in injury-time for the home side..

But Forest were deservedly back in front nine minutes after the restart when Burke caught the defence napping after a long ball over the top.

Bogdan kept the visitors in the game on the hour mark when he beat away Vellios’ penalty after Chris Cohen had been fouled by Craig Morgan.

It proved to be a costly miss when Will Grigg headed the Latics level on 65 minutes.

The Reds hit the front for a third time when Burke rifled an angled finish home on 78 minutes.

Wigan levelled yet again through Grigg’s neat finish three minutes from time.

But Forest refused to settle for a point and finally broke Wigan’s spirit when Lam rifled home deep into stoppage time.