Lee Bowyer left fuming after Nottingham Forest score 98th-minute equaliser against Birmingham

Birmingham 1-1 Nottingham Forest: Lewis Grabban’s 98th-minute penalty cancels out Marc Roberts’ opener and leaves Blues boss Lee Bowyer fuming

  • Marc Roberts opened the scoring for Birmingham early in the second half
  • He thought his strike would move Blues 12 points clear of the bottom three 
  • That was until substitute Lewis Grabban struck with a 98th-minute equaliser 

Lee Bowyer was left raging after a ‘ridiculous and embarrassing’ 98th-minute penalty decision denied him the chance to be the first Birmingham manager since 1989 to win their first four home league matches.

Lewis Grabban’s injury-time spot-kick cancelled out Marc Roberts’ second-half header to earn a point for Nottingham Forest and deny Bowyer a fifth straight clean sheet.

‘It’s never ever been a penalty,’ said Bowyer. ‘Never. This happens too many times in this division. Too many times, officials get it wrong and nothing happens. They are guessing. They get away with it.

Lee Bowyer was left fuming after Nottingham Forest were awarded a very late penalty

Lewis Grabban earned Forest a point at St Andrew's after scoring a 98th-minute equaliser

Lewis Grabban earned Forest a point at St Andrew’s after scoring a 98th-minute equaliser

Second-half substitute Grabban celebrates with his team-mates after his fifth of the season

Second-half substitute Grabban celebrates with his team-mates after his fifth of the season 

‘They’re messing around with people’s lives. My players have just given everything out there – they deserve three points. It’s ridiculous and embarrassing.’

The former Charlton boss joined with 10 matches to go and, while mid-season managerial changes are often scoffed at, it looks a shrewd decision despite his anger at only drawing on Wednesday night.

It means Birmingham are 10 points clear of 22nd-placed Rotherham – the difference was just three when Bowyer took over – and virtually guarantees safety.

Marc Roberts had put Birmingham ahead with a towering header from Ivan Sanchez's corner

Marc Roberts had put Birmingham ahead with a towering header from Ivan Sanchez’s corner

Birmingham wasted a flurry of chances either side of going ahead through Roberts’ towering header from Ivan Sanchez’s corner on 49 minutes.

Chris Hughton’s side created next to nothing but, from a late corner, Lukas Jutkiewicz was judged to have fouled Scott McKenna in the area, which substitute Grabban converted.

‘My assistants are adamant that it was a penalty,’ said Hughton. ‘For us it’s a good point.’