English Football League / Andrew French / 03 March 2008 / 1

Andrew French previews Monday night's Sky-televised offering from the top echelons of League One

For many football fans, seeing Nottingham Forest lining up in a match two divisions below the top flight still causes an eyebrow to be raised - but the longer they stay in League One, the less their perceived stature will count for.

Forest host Carlisle - something they have only done six times before in their history - in a live Sky Sports game tonight, with both clubs needing the three points in their fight for automatic promotion.

With Swansea 14 points clear at the top, it seems likely one of the automatic spots has gone, and that makes tonight's game even more crucial: take three points for yourself, and put a big dent in your rivals' hopes at the same time.

When, as I do, you remember Forest for European Cup glory - those great days of Cloughie and paying the first £1m transfer fee - it's hard not to start thinking 'they should go up'. Yet this Forest side is light years away from those heady days of the late 70s and early 80s: the club is where it is because that's where it deserves to be. And if they don't get upwardly mobile soon, people will start to regard the lower divisions as their home.

However, putting all that historical baggage to one side, I still think they'll win tonight and so even at somewhat skinny odds to back of [1.88] - bearing in mind they are playing a side above them in the table - I think they are a decent bet. Carlisle are available to back at [5.2] with the draw priced at [3.5].

It's Forest's home record coupled with Carlisle's very average performances on the road which give me confidence in Colin Calderwood's side.

First off, Forest have lost just once at the City Ground in the league this season, and that was way back in August when Leeds beat them 2-1. Since then, it's been 10 wins and four draws in 14 league outings.

And very few teams even manage to score when they visit Forest: they have kept 11 clean sheets in 16 home league matches, and it has been nearly seven hours of football since their defences were last breached at the City Ground by Huddersfield on New Year's Day.

Therefore, I think that's enough evidence for me to be all over the [2.68] available to back another Forest clean sheet tonight.

The only slight problem for Forest is that captain Ian Breckin is suspended - but then Carlisle have worse selections headaches. Top scorer Joe Garner (14 goals this season) is out with a serious knee ligament injury, while fellow striker Scott Dobie who joined from Forest in January cannot play because of a transfer agreement between the clubs.

Carlisle have only scored 17 goals on the road this season at it is, so to be shorn of two potential net-finders certainly doesn't help their cause. They did win at Crewe last time out but that was their first away success in 10 outings, during which time they failed to score in seven of the games.

It would be no surprise, then, for the visitors to get men behind the ball. Forest, for their part, will just want to win the game and so I'm anticipating a relatively low-scoring affair: backing Under 2.5 goals at [1.71] appeals.

Allied to that, for greater value I'd consider Forest to win 1-0 and 2-0 at [7.2] and [9.2] respectively.

In three of their last four home wins, Forest have needed until after the interval to break down their visitors. Given that Carlisle will be quite happy to frustrate their hosts, I think backing Draw/Forest in the Half-Time/Full-Time market at [5.3] is worth consideration.

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1. Hailemariam Getahun | 03 March 2008

   This years Premium League Champion will definetly be Manchester United

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