Lewis Grabban’s 17th goal of the season rescued a draw for promotion-chasing Nottingham Forest at struggling Middlesbrough. Grabban equalised with four minutes remaining despite claims from Boro that the striker had fouled the goalkeeper, Aynsley Pears.
Boro had appeared on course to move out of the Championship bottom three with a first win in 10 games after responding to Ryan Yates’s opening goal with two goals in four minutes through Rudy Gestede and Lewis Wing.
Grabban’s intervention kept Jonathan Woodgate’s side in the relegation zone and edged Forest to within eight points of second-place Leeds.
Gestede was a surprise inclusion for Boro in the absence of the ill Britt Assombalonga and injured Ashley Fletcher. Wing recorded the first shot on target from either side after 21 minutes but it was easy pickings for Brice Samba who was on hand to comfortably gather.
Boro soon found themselves behind. A routine throw was not dealt with, neither Alfa Semedo or Sammy Ameobi were closed down, and the latter’s pass was dispatched past Pears by Yates from outside the area.
Middlesbrough turned things around before the interval after Hayden Coulson and Wing had already gone close. With five minutes remaining, Paddy McNair’s deep free-kick was headed back across goal by Harold Moukoudi for Gestede to head down from under the bar for his first goal at the Riverside in more than two years.
Pears then picked Coulson out with a long throw and the young winger ran deep into the half, rolling a pass to Wing, whose shot hit the arm of the diving Samba before trickling over the line.
After a lack of chances at the start of the second half, Forest found their feet in a nervy ending for Middlesbrough. Tobias Figueiredo headed over the bar from an unmarked position and then top-scorer Grabban side-footed wide from close range.
Grabban did equalise with four minutes to go. Joe Lolley’s volley from outside the area was deflected high into the area and the striker protected the ball from Pears with his back and left arm to flick a finish over the line.