09/04/2008 - Forest 1 Bristol Rovers 1
For the fans of Nottingham Forest, it is time to stop lamenting what might have been and to focus instead on what could still be possible.
At least it is if their side are not to carry a significant, needless burden into the play-offs on their already heavily-laden shoulders.
Last night the City Ground echoed with angry, accusing cries of frustration and fury. An air of defeat rattled around a half-empty stadium.
You would think Colin Calderwood's side had surrendered their promotion hopes altogether, rather than finally had to accept, once and for all, that a top-two finish is not theirs for the taking.
From the moment Steve Elliott, a former Derby County player and fan, rose to head Bristol Rovers level in the 63rd minute, the mood changed palpably on the banks of the River Trent.
Every misplaced pass, every poor touch, every missed header or tackle was greeted in the same way, with a chorus of jeers, and heckles and abuse from the stands.
Yes, it was unglamorous Bristol Rovers, a team with a modest lower league history, whose previous taste of cup finals has come in the Leyland DAF Trophy, rather than on the biggest stages in Europe.
But after close to three seasons in League One, perhaps it is time to accept that Forest are not going to beat every team that comes before them.
This is not going to be the year when Forest sweep everyone aside and charge to title glory and promotion on an unstoppable tide of victory after victory.
And, given the money and resources Calderwood has had at his disposal, it can be considered a failure that it has not turned out that way - or at least something closer to it.
Forest, unquestionably, have under-performed.
But, if there is one lesson that should have been learned by now, it is that a modest past does not always equate to modest opposition at this level.
Last night, this was a Rovers side that epitomised the archetypal third-tier side - strong, organised, hard-working and with a smattering of players with the ability to make the most of their opportunities.
For them, this was a hard-fought, deserved point. For Forest it was a failure to achieve something they had not managed all season - a third consecutive victory.
But, despite this result, the season itself is not yet a failure for Forest. Promotion has not yet slipped from their grasp.
There can still be a happy ending, there is still a path to glory.
It is not the time for blame, for criticism, for launching a witch-hunt to decide who is responsible for their automatic promotion failure.
There will be plenty of time for that if they fail in the play-offs as well.
But, if it is to unfold in the way they so desperately crave, the supporters have a role to play.
Because, on a night when the Kop roared Liverpool back from behind not once but twice, to help them to a win over Arsenal in the Champions League, Forest were at times reduced to nervous wrecks by the reaction of their own supporters.
At Carlisle last week, when Forest registered a landmark victory of their own, the supporters at Brunton Park were unwavering in their support.
It was the same story at Doncaster, Northampton, Swansea, Southend, Luton - the list goes on.
But, at the City Ground, opposition managers, almost on a bi-weekly basis, admit that the same thing has been a feature of their pre-match team talk.
Keep Forest quiet for half an hour and the fans will turn on them.
Last night a sparsely populated City Ground witnessed a lacklustre opening in which Bristol Rovers mustered the more significant attacking menace.
True, it had taken the sharpest reactions of veteran keeper Steve Phillips to deny Forest an eighth-minute lead, after a Lewis McGugan corner bent towards the edge of the six-yard box, where Luke Chambers met it with equal conviction.
But, after that point, it was Rovers in the ascendancy, as they made the most of the attacking threat given to them in wide positions through the pace of Lewis Haldine and David Pipe.
Forest could have conceded a spot-kick as Haldine got the wrong side of Chambers, who seemed guilty of hauling the winger back. Luckily, referee Neil Swarbrick waved play-on.
It was a matter of minutes before Haldine burst beyond Chambers again down the Forest left, this time rifling a low shot narrowly wide of the post
Then, down the right, former Notts County man Pipe left Matt Lockwood - given his first start in almost two months following the injury to Julian Bennett - in his wake, before unselfishly squaring the ball into the path of Rickie Lambert, who produced some mercifully poor finishing from the edge of the six yard box.
The influence of Kris Commons, however, was steadily growing. Phillips was well placed to save an instant 20-yard effort from him.But the keeper had to do rather better to get a hand to a viciously swerving free-kick, bent around the defensive wall and towards the top corner.
When Rovers conceded another free-kick, in a central position just outside the area, it seemed another chance for Commons to try his luck.
But instead McGugan struck a perfectly-flighted shot around the wall and just inside the keeper's left-hand upright, to put Forest ahead in spectacular fashion.
Calderwood was proactive at the interval - although partly influenced by an injury to Agogo - as he brought on McCleary to play wide on the right and provide a little more width.
Following a spell of steady pressure, Ormerod came close after some quick footwork engineered the room for him to send a shot low into the side netting.
But a set-piece at the other end put Rovers right back into the game, following a foul by Kelvin Wilson.
Stuart Campbell bent in a cross to the far post where Elliott rose to loop a header back across goal and into the net.
And the visitors could have snatched an instant lead after Pipe burst down the right before sending a low ball across the face to substitute Andy Williams, who came close with a rasping shot.
It was enough to provoke an angry reaction from the fans - where the smallest league crowd of the season were noisily making their feelings clear.
There was a response on the pitch as well though, with Ormerod twice glancing headers just high and wide and McCleary also failing to capitalise on two half-chances. Then Commons missed a glaring chance to convert in injury time.
But it was the mood on the terraces that was of most significance.
With upwards of 20,000 regularly packing the stadium, there can be no questioning the loyalty of the Forest faithful.
And, when they throw their weight behind the team, there can be nothing more intimidating for opposition sides.
But when they turn that passion on their own players, it has the opposite effect.
So far the season has been a failure. But it is not over yet and, with the fans' help, there could still be plenty to cheer about between now and the end of May.