What a difference a bit of effort makes.
After losing embarrassingly to Derby at the weekend, it was safe to say the mood around the City Ground was not a particularly buoyant one.
Yet come 10pm last night, there was a new buzz around the place.
From the outside view, most would ask why? Forest have lost. again. They've conceded 4 goals at home. again.
But the spirit of the performance was one that the Forest faithful have been craving all season.
McClaren made five changes which included dropping captain Chambers as his wife was giving birth. It may have been a blessing in disguise.
We all know Lynch has had his fair amount of stick since arriving, but he has always been asked to play in bit parts and in a position that isn't his favourite. Last night, the ex Brighton defender played centre back and he was superb.
There was still the odd mistake creeping in, mainly from an aerial route, Newcastle's first goal saw Lovenkrands ghost in between the two centre backs due to a lack of communication and Coloccini winning the game at the death as he waited back post, unmarked.
But there was a general feeling that if we tightened up just a tad, that defence would be tough to beat at championship level.
Up front, Marcus Tudgay was given a run out and he ran his socks off for 120 minutes. Although it was never confirmed, rumours spread that Tuds, McGoldrick and Garner were all transfer listed. If true, it appears the ex Sheffield Wednesday man was the only one who couldn't find a club. Similarly to Chambers, that could be the best result. His continuous effort, aerial ability and a striker's instinct to score goals at this level could prove pivitol to us this season.
The key thing last night was the team unity. There was no desire to lie down and be walked over, three times we came back against Premiership opposition. Goal scoring does not appear to be a problem this season. We could of and probably should have won in right at the end of normal time. Then Simpson popped up with the flukiest of goals and it proves that luck isn't going our way at the moment. But that'll change. We just need to keep plugging away.
I imagine some critics will say 'well Newcastle didn't have a full strength side out.' Granted, they made a fair few changes from the weekend. But there was still plenty of experience out there and I'm very confident that most will appear in Pardew's PL campaign at some point this season, most notably Danny Guthrie who ran midfield all night. Disappointed that he was rumoured to be on his way to the Reds not long ago, he looks like he would have been a superb acquistion.
Camp- In parts, looked like the old Campy. Shaky first half but as the match drove on, he began to dominate his box and move the ball out quickly. Hopefully it's the start of things to come. 7/10
Moloney- Tough night for the young Irish lad as Marveoux was magnificent but worked hard and defended well, caught out a couple of times. 7/10
Morgan- May be fearing for his place and appeared to know it. Strong, dominant, much better performance. Still a bit nervous at times but confidence is low so it's understandable. 7/10
Lynch- My man of the match. He was fantastic. Strong on the floor, strong in the air. Covering all areas of the back four. Would be very hard to drop him. 9/10
Gunter- Again, isn't a left back. But still worked incredibly hard. He defended well but also got forward to offer an option down the left side. 7/10
Findley- 'USA' is becoming a bit of a cult hero at the CG. Didn't offer much first half as a winger but when moved forward as a striker, looked very dangerous. Caused havoc every time he went forward and is bordering on first name on the team sheet. Nice goal as well. 8/10
Greening- Wasn't an inspiring performance once again but he seemed to be communicating more and attempting to dominate in midfield a bit more. Still needs to work harder though. 6/10
Moussi- If Findley needs a role model for how to become an instant hero in Nottingham, just look towards the 'Mousse'. Big, strong, powerful and a constant desire to never give up. Tends to give the ball away but the shocked silence around the ground when he was substituted said it all. 8/10
McGugan- Was one of his best performances for 80 minutes. Always wanting to get on the ball and be direct. Fantastic delivery from dead ball situations as well. Then, something changed. Not sure whether he got a niggle or just fatigued, but his head completely dropped and he just looked disinterested. 7/10
Tudgay- Excellent performance from Marcus. Worked hard and constantly roving around the back line, looking for that chance. Deserved his goal which shouldn't be forgotten that he had to gamble in the first place to be there. Certainly thrown himself into the mix. 8/10
Derbyshire- Another one who ran all night. First couple of games, thought he looked a bit of a pushover but as match sharpness has improved, he could become one of the best strikers in the division. Fantastic movement and always a step ahead. Great, clinical finish for his goal as well. 8/10
Majewski- Worked hard when he came on. Battled and moved the ball around well. Just not sure where we can fit him in at the moment. Certainly deserves to be involved though. 7/10
Miller- Can go from the sublime to the ridiculous. Always must have the ball on his left foot, otherwise it can become comical. However, when it is on his left, he can cause havoc. Saw it last night as he set up Tudgay through pure strength and persistance. Another one that is tough to leave out. 7/10
Reid- Had a twenty minute run out and worked hard. He likes to come and get the ball, which is good, but consistently leaves us with no wide option. Played the playmaker role well though and worked hard, closing down and pressuring. 7/10
In the post match interview, McClaren said he was looking for balance and went on to suggest that he may have found it in the 4-3-3 formation. As much as I love the attacking intent, we have far too many midfielders to try and suggest we are only going to play 3 each week. But that's McClaren's headache to sort out. How nice is it to have competition for places?!
On a sidenote, it was announced Chris Cohen would likely to be out for the season with the injury he sustained against Derby. It's a huge shame. His engine and willingness for the cause will be greatly missed. However, the blow was softened by the imminent arrival of Clint Hill.
I have to be honest, I don't know him very well. I do know that he played in QPR's first PL game and had he not been sent off and Warnock hadn't had a sudden cash injection, he would probably still be involved in their campaign. He comes with experience and knowledge of what it takes to win at this level and, wait for it...HE CAN PLAY LEFT BACK.
A good signing most definitely.
Finally, I heard that a protest against the board was being planned before the Birmingham game. If by any chance, anyone thinking of taking part will be reading this, please take on board the following advice....DON'T DO IT.
A protest shows unrest which is understandable. But McClaren's job is hard enough as it is without a handful of 'supporters' kicking off because we're not sitting top of the league. Last night was a huge performance and we need to kick on in the league now. I fully believe we will.
But protest oozing negativity could undo all last night's hard work.
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