admin# Forest Fans Fume: Awoniyi’s Howler Costs Reds Precious Point in Turf Moor Thriller
**Burnley, September 20, 2025** – In a pulsating clash at Turf Moor that had Premier League neutrals on the edge of their seats, Nottingham Forest squandered a golden opportunity to snatch all three points, settling for a frustrating 1-1 draw against a resilient Burnley side. The Clarets, fighting tooth and nail for survival under Scott Parker’s stewardship, held firm, but it was striker Taiwo Awoniyi’s glaring miss in the dying embers that ignited a firestorm of backlash from the traveling Trentside faithful.
The match kicked off with Forest asserting early dominance, their high-pressing game plan suffocating Burnley’s build-up play. Midfield maestro Morgan Gibbs-White pulled the strings masterfully, feeding pinpoint passes to the forwards. It was Awoniyi himself who broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, latching onto a sumptuous through-ball from Callum Hudson-Odoi before rifling a low drive past James Trafford into the bottom corner. The away end erupted, sensing a statement win that could propel Nuno Espírito Santo’s men into the top half of the table.
Burnley, however, refused to wilt. The hosts leveled just before halftime through a controversial penalty converted by Lyle Foster after Anthony Elanga’s clumsy challenge on Zian Flemming. The second half descended into a cagey affair, with both sides trading blows but lacking the killer instinct. That all changed in the 88th minute when Elanga’s curling cross found Awoniyi unmarked six yards from goal. With the net begging to be bulged, the Nigerian international fluffed his lines spectacularly—side-footing wide with only the keeper to beat. The stadium fell silent, then exploded in agony.
As the final whistle blew, the recriminations were swift and savage. On social media, Forest’s digital terraces lit up with vitriol aimed squarely at Awoniyi. “Awoniyi has the finishing of a Sunday league donkey,” tweeted @RedArmyRant, a post that garnered over 5,000 likes in minutes. “Cost us two points tonight. Sell him in January,” echoed @ForestFanatic92, while @TrentsideTitan lamented, “That miss will haunt us come May. Nuno needs to bench him ASAP.” Even local radio call-ins were flooded with irate supporters, one caller branding the 27-year-old “a liability in big moments” despite his nine goals this season.
Nuno, ever the diplomat, defended his talisman post-match: “Taiwo gave everything. These things happen in football. We’ll review and move on.” But with Arsenal looming next weekend, the Portuguese boss knows patience is wearing thin. Forest sit ninth, just three points off the Champions League spots, but dropped points like this could prove costly in a season defined by fine margins.
For Awoniyi, the weight of expectation grows heavier. Signed for £17.5 million from Union Berlin in 2022, he’s been a revelation at times, yet his conversion rate remains a sore point. Tonight’s blunder wasn’t just a missed chance; it symbolized Forest’s perennial struggle to convert promise into prizes. As the coaches rumbled back to the East Midlands under a starry sky, one thing was clear: the City Ground faithful demand more. Will Awoniyi respond, or has he crossed the Rubicon of supporter trust?
Eddy
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