Football: Chettle rises to keep Forest in business

Football

GLENN MOORE

reports from Munich

Bayern Munich 2 Nottingham Forest 1

Nottingham Forest once again showed last night that endeavour and intelligence will go a long way in Europe. The Midlanders produced their customary display of resistance, leavened with moments of inspiration, to frustrate Bayern Munich in their Olympic home.

Though they could not keep out Jurgen Klinsmann or the omnipresent Mehmet Scholl, Forest stole a precious away goal. Steve Chettle's 17th- minute header, a minute after Klinsmann had struck for Bayern, will be doubly valuable when the tie resumes, in Nottingham in a fortnight.

For much of last night's quarter-final first leg Forest weaved a defensive web whose intermeshing strands mirrored the arching steel canopy above them. When holes did appear they were filled by the imposing yet agile form of Mark Crossley.

The Forest keeper came into the game with five successive European clean sheets behind him. However, they had been achieved with a defensive unit which was halved last night, with Des Lyttle omitted and Colin Cooper suspended. Stuart Pearce was back, but after eight weeks out with a calf injury.

The match kicked off to the sound of Elgar which, though a local custom, was as likely to inspire Forest as Bayern. So it seemed as the visitors easily repelled Bayern's early probings.

Then, after 16 minutes of boring preamble the game burst into life with two goals in a minute. Klinsmann, peeling away from the area, switched the ball to Scholl on the right. He curled it back in and Klinsmann, having stolen in behind Alf Inge Haland, headed in.

The crowd were celebrating his 12th goal of the competition when Forest silenced them. Phillips, on the left, swung a free-kick deep into the area, so deep that Oliver Kahn thought it was going out and left it. Chettle, rising almost on the byline, looped a header back across goal and inside the far post.

A wild drive from Scholl was Bayern's first response but, after 26 minutes, the Germans had a chance to restore their lead. Ciri Sforza charged down an attempted clearance from Haland before pulling the ball back only for Scholl to miskick.

Five minutes later Scholl almost redeemed himself with a cross from which Alexander Zickler brought a fine save from Crossley. Crossley did not look at ease and, a minute from the break, he dropped a harmless cross. As Zickler moved to tap the ball in Haland made a superb clearing tackle.

The incident seemed to affect Forest's concentration more than Bayern's, and a minute later Sforza strolled through the heart of their defence. At the edge of the area he slipped the ball to Scholl, who coolly scored.

After half-time Forest resumed with greater attacking vigour and Bayern's impetus slowed. It took them almost half an hour to regain it but once they did, they stretched Forest to the limit. With 17 minutes left the ebullient Scholl whipped in a free-kick, Thomas Helmer flicked on, and Crossley punched the ball against the bar. As Thomas Kreuzer headed the rebound back Crossley rose again to tip over. The only sour note for Forest was a booking for Scott Gemmill which will rule him out of the return.

Bayern Munich (3-5-2): Kahn; Kreuzer, Matthaus, Helmer; Strunz, Sforza, Scholl, Nerlinger, Ziege; Klinsmann, Zickler. Substitutes not used: Scheuer (gk), Frey, Herzog, Witeczek, Kostadinov.

Nottingham Forest (4-4-2): Crossley; Phillips, Haland, Chettle, Pearce; Stone, Bart-Williams, Gemmill, Woan; Roy, Woan. Substitutes not used: Fettis (gk), McGregor, Howe, Lee, Lyttle.

Referee: A Lopez Nieto (Spain).

Last night's results, page 23