MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE’S poor penalty hindered Nottingham Forest’s progress in Europe.
Sean Dyche said the Europa League offered a chance for his Forest side “to raise their minimum” after the 2-0 win over Porto last week.
While a solid point away from home in a bouncing Austrian bearpit is not the end of the world, Gibbs-White’s fluffed spot-kick stopped Forest from climbing into the top eight.
Dyche made seven changes from the well-fought 2-2 home draw against Manchester United, with the Englishman also battling with a lot of injuries to his squad, which welcomed £200m worth of new signings in the summer.
But, with Forest having one eye on a massive Premier League game against Leeds United at the City Ground on Sunday, Dyche’s much-changed side had to face a deafening European atmosphere.
Forest sit 19th in the Prem, with newly promoted Leeds enjoying a better start, although those at Elland Road could be grabbed into a relegation fight at any point.
Star player Elliot Anderson, who is set to be recalled to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad on Friday, did not travel after starting every Forest game this season.
While goalkeeper Matz Sels, forward Dan Nyode and defender Murillo were benched, alongside two 19-year-old academy players.
Nyode and Murillo were thrown on in the dying stages to get something out of the game, but Anderson watched this one at home.
After a cagey start, marked only by the home crowd’s beating drum and loud-mouthed MC, a clever free-kick from Gibbs-White caught the Austrian champions out early on.
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The No10 found James McAtee unmarked on the edge of the area, but the former Manchester City star’s low strike flashed past the post keeper Oliver Christensen at full-stretch.
Rare starter Ryan Yates quickly saw a header cleared off the line, before home striker Maurice Malone had a tap-in ruled out for offside after Forest’s back up keeper John Victor spilled a cross out.
After scoring two penalties in the 2-0 win over Porto last week, the ref pointed to the spot after Neco Williams’ cross struck Emanuel Aiwu’s arm in the 35th minute.
But Gibbs-White missed his first penalty in Forest colours when Christensen guessed right to pick up his limp low effort.
Gibbs-White, who perhaps dented his chances of impressing Tuchel, took an age to hit it and seemed to succumb to the deafening home noise.
Yates went down while trying to latch onto the rebound, before a VAR check ruled out any foul.
Yates almost gave the visitors a perfect start to the second half when he struck wide past the post inside the first 60 seconds.
Former Liverpool star Williams was the best visiting player, with the full-back unrelenting in his endeavours to get forward.
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A night of nearlys came to head in the final minute of normal time.
Williams’ corner found Domínguez on the edge of the box and his well-struck drive smacked the edge of the crossbar after taking a slight deflection.
