Nottingham Forest Under-21s have lift off in the EFL Trophy and Joe Gardner belied his tender years. The young Reds defeated Carlisle United last night 2-0 at Brunton Park.
This was a milestone moment for the Reds. It’s the first win that the club has gained since the under-21s entered a team in the group stages of the competition.
The goals both came in the second half, following a pretty scrappy first half. Josh Powell scored the first and Ben Perry put the icing on the cake late in the piece.
Gardner stars as Forest under-21s claim memorable win
The central defender was in fine form for the Reds last night. Gardner doesn’t always operate as a centre-back for Forest but he’s proving himself very versatile.
Some statistics from Sofa Score showcase just how much he added to the Forest team last night. He was in the thick of the action and will deservedly take the plaudits for his performance.
He won no fewer than 10 duels throughout the contest against the League One outfit. He was also strong in the tackle and won four tackles during his 90 minutes on the pitch.
Gardner was impressive for Forest throughout the clash. He gave everything he had to the cause and his commitment qualities won’t have gone unnoticed by his coaches.
Gardner working his way through the City Ground ranks
It’s always useful when a younger player can prove his versatility. Garnder is doing that at the moment and has also operated at right-back and on the right wing this season.
Forest have only been defeated once in their Premier League 2 campaign of 2023/24. That came against Brighton and Warren Joyce has got the team firing this season.
Against Harrogate in the first EFL Trophy game, Forest gave Felipe and Callum Hudson-Odoi some minutes. Last night, it was all about the youngster at the club and Gardner showcased exactly what he’s capable of.
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