Nottingham Forest fans expect tense evening as Reds look to secure play-off spot on final day of Championship season

'Being a Forest fan is never easy'

Nottingham Forest supporters expect a nervy evening as the Reds look to cement their Championship play-off spot at home to Stoke City.

Fifth in the table on 70 points, a point will guarantee Sabri Lamouchi's side a place in the six - but if the Reds lose they will have to rely on Swansea City, in seventh, not winning by a handsome scoreline.

If the Reds are beaten and the Swans win at Reading, goal difference is likely to prove decisive, with the Reds currently better off by five goals.

Forest will also have to keep an eye out on Cardiff City's result, the side in sixth position, on 70 points, who are a place below the Reds on goal difference. Cardiff welcome bottom of the table Hull City.

Fans said they were cautious of the visit of Stoke, a team who could prove difficult to break down.

Des Oldham, 40, a Forest season ticket holder for 30 years, said: "I'm a little bit wary, we always struggle against these type of teams - teams that sit back a little bit and want us to come onto them...

"It's teams like Stoke who are not going to be as flamboyant and open and we tend to struggle."

But, although the game could be a potential banana skin, Mr Oldham, who lives in Colwick Road, West Bridgford, near the City Ground, said: "I expect Forest to be a bit more on the front foot.

"Stoke have got nothing to play for. I expect us to win and score the first goal and I think if Forest score the first goal they generally do well.

"That's the key thing - setting off on the right foot and going at them a little bit more than we would in normal circumstances."

Mr Oldham, who works for the NHS, believes the late equaliser Forest conceded away to Derby a few weeks ago had caused a knock-on effect.

"We have put ourselves in a position that we didn't really need to be in," he said.

"If the Derby result had gone our way... it would have almost been done and dusted already.

"In losing that goal to them, at that time, has created a bit of a frenzy within the fan base and within the club."

Also looking ahead to the Stoke game, Kevin George, 65, organiser of the LGBT+ Trickies supporters' group, said: "It's apprehension and being a Forest fan is never easy, most Forest fans will recognise that.

"Probably most football fans will say the same thing about their club, but, over the years, being a Forest fan has never been easy - we never seem do what we're supposed to do.

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"Although quite often we get there in the end.

"Like tonight, we have known for a few weeks we needed a point, we needed three points - whatever we've needed we've not actually got them.

"Tonight we need the point, and get the point we're there. If we don't the point then we're relying on results going elsewhere.

"But again that can be swings and roundabouts: if we lose 1-0, Swansea need to win 4-0. Cardiff are probably there already."

Mr George, a retired care worker, of Leicester, expects a tense evening ahead.

"Even tonight it could be that - and I hope it doesn't happen - we could go 1-0 down and be out of the play-offs and get an equaliser and then be back in the play-offs again.

"The great thing would be if we go 1-0 or 2-0 up pretty quickly, and we can start to relax.

"I think we'll be safe, I think we'll get the point - at least a point and, if not, three.

"I don't think we can go into a game looking for a point - I don't know if that's what they did on Sunday (when the Reds lost 1-0 away to Barnsley). We were virtually there on Sunday and then the 94th minute again and we concede."