Nottingham Forest take valuable point in battle to beat the drop

Nottingham Forest earned a vital point in their quest for Premier League safety after a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa at the City Ground.

Neco Williams’ goal seven minutes before the break cancelled out Murillo’s earlier own goal to make it four games unbeaten for Vitor Pereira’s side.

And with Tottenham losing at Sunderland, the draw means they are three points clear of the drop zone with six games to go.

Villa, who strengthened their Champions League qualification hopes, will rue a string of missed chances, with Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins both going close.

But both sides will respect the point after midweek away trips in the Europa League and this match could serve as a dress rehearsal for a two-legged semi-final in a few weeks.

Villa’s preparations were hit by goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez pulling out of the match after the warm-up – the third time that has happened this season.

Marco Bizot came in and was busy in the first 20 minutes, turning Williams’ shot around a post and then fending off an over-hit cross from the same player.

Forest had started well but found themselves behind in the 23rd minute.

Villa had been pedestrian in attack but found some verve as Rogers was played in down the left and his low cross hit the unfortunate Murillo and bobbled into the net.

That gave Villa some control and they were almost 2-0 up in the 35th minute as John McGinn fed Rogers, but his shot hit the crossbar and went over.

Three minutes later Forest were level.

A well-worked move saw Ola Aina’s cross find Callum Hudson-Odoi, who teed up Williams to thrash home a low 20-yard drive that beat Bizot at the near post.

Forest had the ascendancy after the break as Igor Jesus headed Hudson-Odoi’s cross over and then drilled a 20-yard effort high and wide.

They kept knocking on the door and Bizot was forced into a big save when he managed to get a leg to Morgan Gibbs-White’s effort, which took a big deflection off Matty Cash.

But the game then swung in Villa’s direction and they should have been back in front.

First, McGinn was denied by a super save from Matz Sels, who got a hand to a shot destined for the bottom corner.

Then, Rogers wanted the ground to swallow him up after an embarrassing miss from six yards, dreadfully skying his eight-yard effort high into the stands after Selz could only parry Ross Barkley’s shot.

Forest had more pressure, but it was Villa who continued to ask the real questions and Watkins was a whisker away from restoring the lead in the 78th minute as he fizzed a first-time effort from Emiliano Buendia’s pass just over.

Villa probed for a winner as Selz was forced into saves from Ian Maatsen and Cash but it ended in a draw.