IT was typical a game that had to be rearranged because of burst water pipes on Boxing Day left Middlesbrough ruing one gap they failed to plug at the Riverside Stadium.
When Scott McDonald had fired Boro ahead six minutes after half-time, the whole of Teesside must have been expecting an onslaught from a visiting team with eyes on the Premier League.
Instead Middlesbrough defended strongly, clearing their lines regularly and with confidence, while creating numerous chances to increase their advantage. But then, with striker Dele Adebola introduced by Forest boss Billy Davies, the men from the City Ground somehow played the ball in behind the home defence in the second minute of injury-time for the burly front-man to scuff beyond goalkeeper Jason Steele.
It was a cruel blow to Middlesbrough, who had looked for so long like extending a gap to the bottom three that now reads six points rather than the eight it could and should have been.
It was the sixth time this season that Boro had surrended a lead in the 90th minute or later, costing them six points over the season - and elimination from the FA Cup.
Adebola's equaliser was enough to prevent Boro beating Forest on Teesside soil for the first time in 38 years; even if Tony Mowbray's team did manage to avoid a third successive home defeat.
There was a chance January signing Maximilian Haas would have started his first match for Middlesbrough, but Seb Hines shrugged off the dead leg he picked up in the defeat to Queens Park Rangers.
Hines was paired at the heart of the defence alongside Jonathan Grounds, who was preferred to former Bayern Munich defender Haas as a replacement for Andrew Davies.
After shipping nine goals in their last three matches, Forest boss Davies resisted playing target-man Adebola as his lone striker.
Instead that task was given to Rob Earnshaw and he was quick to threaten.
After Julio Arca and Barry Robson had both been denied from long range, by the alert goalkeeping of Lee Camp, the visitors' quick thinking on the break was soon evident.
The lively, if often visibly frustrated, David McGoldrick played an incisive through pass behind Hines. Earnshaw latched on to it, turned inside before rolling in to the arms of Steele.
Steele would have been beaten midway through the half when Chris Cohen's delivery from the right was not dealt with by the Middlesbrough defence, but defender Luke Chambers directed his close-range volley over.
From that moment on Middlesbrough tightened up and started to make progress going forward, although neither side really created much in either box.
Mowbray had clearly asked Robson, preferred to ineffective Dutch winger Marvin Emnes, to tuck inside along with Nicky Bailey and Arca, with more reliance on Andrew Taylor for width on the left.
Ironically it was Taylor who was the man standing centrally when he unleashed a left foot half volley from 20 yards that Camp did well to thwart.
Middlesbrough had to be aware of the attacking quality of Forest after caving in to Swansea and QPR in recent visits here, but there was a sense the game was there for the taking.
And Mowbray ensured his players continued to make inroads towards the Forest goal immediately after the restart.
Tony McMahon, becoming something of a free-kick specialist, struck his latest dead ball from 20 yards precisely and Camp had to get down to his left to prevent the opener.
Moments later, with Forest struggling to deal with the home team's purpose, Camp also had to deny a Lita strike. But the visiting goalkeeper had no answer to McDonald's eighth of the season.
The former Celtic striker was left totally unmarked at the back post to power high in to Camp's net after Robson and Lita had combined well.
McDonald was also unfortunate to see an instinctive shot on the turn fly in to the side netting moments later.
And once Camp had to stand tall to thwart a drive from Taylor, Davies knew he needed to change things before Boro increased their advantage.
On came Adebola and winger Paul Anderson. The changes did improve Forest, with Middlesbrough's defence asked a series of questions.
The display defensively handed the encouragement to the forwards to look for another. And when Lita lost control of the ball in the area, it looked as if Taylor would do just that but Camp was again in the way.
Robson later hit a post from distance, while McDonald and Arca got in a muddle after good work from Lita.
Forest tried to find an equaliser and then, with time ticking away, the ball fell behind the Boro defence and Adebola latched on to scuff a harsh equaliser over the line.
Source: Northern Echo
Source: Northern Echo