QPR 2-1 Nottm Forest

A Forest fan mourn her club's fate

Two-time European Champions Nottingham Forest were relegated to League One as they suffered defeat at QPR.

Never before has a club who have reigned in Europe slipped into the third tier of their domestic league.

Darryl Powell was sent off on 30 minutes before an own goal from John Curtis and a strike by Marc Bircham condemned Forest to their misery.

Substitute Eugen Bopp did pull one back with a crisp finish on 77 minutes but Forest's cause proved a lost one.

Forest were fighting for their lives but QPR started the better of the two sides and the Reds were up against it early on.

Needing a win to have any chance of survival, Forest's hopes were effectively ended when Powell was dismissed following a clash with Martin Rowlands.

This is indeed a dark day, all I feel is numb. Where did it all go wrong? From HP Have your say on 606

Wes Morgan did well to clear from Paul Furlong early one and then five minutes later, Lee Cook flashed a 25-yard effort narrowly wide of the right post.

The task became virtually impossible for Gary Megson's side when Powell was sent off after 31 minutes.

The midfielder had been harshly booked for a foul on Furlong and was cautioned again for raising his arm in an aerial challenge with Rowlands which left the Rangers winger on the floor.

A minute before the break, Cook sent over a free-kick from the left that flicked off the head of Curtis and flew into the net past goalkeeper Paul Gerrard.

After the break, Morgan made a superb goal-line block to deny Rowlands.

But then Marc Bircham struck the goal that sent Forest down.

Played into space inside the area by Rowlands' clever pass in the 51st minute, the tenacious midfielder curled a fine effort into the top-left corner.

Forest dared to hope in the 77th minute when Bopp, unmarked inside the area, hammered Curtis' low left-wing cross into the roof of the net.

But it was only false optimism as Gareth Taylor headed over the bar as Forest tried in vain to save themselves.

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QPR boss Ian Holloway:
"I want to win things and to be a Premiership manager with this club.

"We have an excellent team. But to do better at this level, we need an excellent squad.

"So, it's onwards and upwards for us."

Nottm Forest reaction to relegation

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QPR: Rossi, Bignot, Shittu, Santos, Padula, Rowlands, Gallen, Bircham (Bean 90), Cook, Thorpe, Furlong.
Subs Not Used: Day, Edghill, Cureton, Miller.

Booked: Gallen, Rossi.

Goals: Curtis 45 og, Bircham 51.

Nottm Forest: Gerrard, Curtis, Morgan, Taylor, Melville, Robertson (Louis-Jean 67), Gardner, Evans (Bopp 62), Powell, Commons, Dobie (Harris 56).
Subs Not Used: Doyle, Hjelde.

Sent Off: Powell (32).

Booked: Powell.

Goals: Bopp 77.

Att: 17,834

Ref: K Wright (Cambridgeshire).