32 The set play is curled into the box but is headed behind for a goal kick.
31 Nottingham Forest now have an opportunity to cause problems with a free kick on the left.
30 Kamara heads wide of the mark after being picked out by Richie Wellens’ curling cross from the left corner of the box.
29 McGugan whips a dangerous looking cross into the area from the left but Chris Weale is there to make the claim.
28 Forest get the ball into the box but frantic defending Angelo Miguel Vitor helps Leicester scramble the ball away.
27 Camp has to be alert to get down and save Ben Mee’s powerful shot from just outside the box on the left.
26 Forest have a free kick after Luke Chambers is fouled by Yakubu but it comes to nothing.
25 A shell-shocked Forest are back in possession as they try to regroup.
25 Kamara tries to bend one from outside of the box but Camp watches it drift harmlessly wide.
23 Oakley’s fabulous strike has lifted Leicester and at the moment they look by far the more dangerous side.
21 The Foxes now have their tails up as they come forward looking for a second goal.
20 GOAL OAKLEY – It’s all square at the City Ground as Matt Oakley blasts a screaming left-foot shot into the top corner of the net! Camp did manage to get a hand on it but he could only turn the ball onto the inside of the post.
19 Andy King curls a cross into the box but it goes behind for a goal kick.
18 A long throw is hurled into the box as Leicester seek a quick reply but Wes Morgan is there to head clear.
17 Earnshaw’s audacious shot from around 35 yards flies high over the bar.
16 Leicester have it all to do now – they simply must come back from this or else their play-off hopes are all but over.
15 GOAL TUDGAY – McGugan picks out Tudgay with a quite brilliant pin-point cross from the right wing and the Forest striker makes no mistake with a clinical header into the bottom corner of the net.
14 A hoisted ball to the edge of the box is chested down by Tudgay before McGugan fires his volley well over the bar.
13 Robert Earnshaw’s looping header into the box searches for Marcus Tudgay but Leicester clear their lines.
12 It’s been a bit of a frantic midfield battle so far, with neither side creating any chances to open the scoring.
11 Unsurprisingly Mark Clattenburg wants a word with Kamara before showing the striker a yellow card.
10 Diomansy Kamara brings down Lewis McGugan with a needlessly clumsy challenge in midfield.
9 As you might expect, Leicester supporters have travelled to the City Ground in large numbers and they’re certainly making themselves heard.
8 Lewis McGugan attacks down the left wing for Forest but he runs the ball out of play.
7 Lee Camp is sporting a cap in the Nottingham Forest goal to keep the low sun out of his eyes – maybe the Leicester players should shoot on sight during this first half.
6 Much has been made about the amount of loan players Leicester have in the squad, but Sven-Goran Eriksson will of course be proved right if they can help the side claim a top-six spot.
5 Yakubu takes Leicester forward through the middle but he somehow manages to lose his footing on the immaculate playing surface.
4 Chris Cohen does really well down the left wing to whip a cross into the box but Leicester manage to clear the danger.
3 Both sides are looking sharp in possession in these early stages as both sides chase three huge points in the race for the play-offs.
2 There’s not a cloud in the sky on this perfect evening for football – let’s just hope the quality on the pitch is just as good as the weather.
1 Nottingham Forest get this crucial Championship clash against Leicester under way at the City Ground.
1710 Sky Bet make Nottingham Forest 5/4 favourites to win this clash while Leicester are 2/1 with the draw available at 12/5. Forest have been struggling of late and I just fancy the Foxes to pip this one 2-1, which is priced up at 28/1. Marcus Tudgay, Robert Earnshaw and Yakubu are joint favourites at 11/2 to score the first goal while Diomansy Kamara is available at 13/2.
1705 As you can see from the team sheets below, Nottingham Forest welcome back Chris Cohen from suspension although they are without the banned Paul Konchesky, who was sent off during the defeat to Norwich last week. Chris Gunter fills in for Konchesky at left-back while striker Kris Boyd, who limped off at Carrow Road, is on the bench. Leicester are without defender Sol Bamba due to the hamstring injury he sustained during the defeat to Reading last weekend while Martyn Waghorn also misses out. The Foxes have six players on loan but only five can be used in the matchday squad so boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has opted to leave out Patrick Van Aanholt. This evening’s referee is Mark Clattenburg (Tyne and Wear).
The Nottingham Forest team is: Camp, Gunter, Chambers, Morgan, Moloney, McGugan, Moussi, McKenna, Cohen, Tudgay, Earnshaw. Subs: Darlow, McCleary, McGoldrick, Boyd, Findley, Majewski, Bennett.
The Leicester team is: Weale, Naughton, Miguel Vitor, Bruma, Mee, Wellens, Oakley, King, Gallagher, Yakubu, Kamara. Subs: Pereira, Teixeira, Howard, Dyer, Berner, Abe, Vassell.
1700 Welcome to our live text commentary for this evening’s Championship clash between play-off hopefuls Nottingham Forest and Leicester at the City Ground. The hosts currently lie seventh in the table and will move into the play-off places if they pick up all three points and sixth-placed Leeds fails to beat in-form Reading later tonight. Forest’s East Midlands rivals Leicester are not completely out of the picture as they trail Leeds by five points although you’d have to say anything less than victory this evening will all but consign them to another season in the Championship. As usual, if you’d like your say before kick-off then email me at christopher.hammer@bskyb.com
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