Nottingham Forest enter play-offs on a roll
Momentum is arguably the key ingredient in a successful play-off push and for that reason, Nottingham Forest supporters have every right to feel optimistic about their chances of promotion to the Premier League after their side signed off for the regular season with four straight wins.
Forest found out for themselves last year just how dangerous it can be to face opponents brimming with confidence after Blackpool followed a run of six victories and a draw in their final eight games with home and away triumphs over Billy Davies' team and a win against Cardiff at Wembley.
Crystal Palace and West Ham have also shown in recent years that being the least impressive of the four challengers over the course of 46 matches doesn't mean you can't do it after a shorter period when there is more at stake, and therefore the Tricky Trees are an intriguing option at [4.1] to go up.
Davies' play-off record is mixed, as in addition to last May's semi-final failure, he has won promotion at Derby and lost a final with Preston. Two legs against [3.7] favourites Swansea this time around will be very difficult, but oddly this is a rare occasion where hosting the initial tie may be an advantage.
Given their fine form at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea would have been better suited having an opportunity to end their winning streak in south Wales first and then, having punctured the inflated morale of the Forest camp, attempted to finish the job off at the City Ground as Blackpool were able to.
The other two-legger pairs Cardiff ([3.75]) and Reading ([4.2]), though it's interesting to note that six of the last seven play-off winners have progressed from the third-versus-sixth semi-final.
Who do you fancy to join QPR and Norwich? Have your say below...
Published: 9 May 2011
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