Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough says he was anticipating Nottingham Forest's second-half turnaround after his side slipped to a 2-0 defeat at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon.

The Brewers began the game well and frustrated their opponents - as we are so used to seeing on the road from Clough's side - even restricting them until the 43rd minute for their first shot on target.

Albion could, and probably should, have gone into the half-time break a goal to the good with Lloyd Dyer spurning a great opportunity thanks to Eric Lichaj's goal-line block.

But Burton didn't heed the warnings of Clough , and Forest made them pay and upped their game after manager Mark Warburton instructed them to do so with Barrie McKay opening the scoring on the 58th minute and Lichaj doubling their advantage late on.

Eric Lichaj of Nottingham Forest
Eric Lichaj of Nottingham Forest

And for the former Forest striker, that's what hurts the most - his side's inability to react to a different beast of a Forest side after the interval.

"We warned the lads at half-time," Clough said post-match.

"We said they're going to come out and have a go.

"They’re going to up the tempo and they’re going to try and cause us some problems.

"When you’re a team and you go off at half-time and the crowd are frustrated and voicing that frustration, good players and professionals want to come out and do something about it.

"And Forest did for 10 or 15 minutes and we spent the majority of the time saying to the lads, brilliant 45, all that's missing is a goal, be ready for the second half.

"And that was the disappointing thing, I thought for the first 10 or 15 minutes (of the second-half) we let them dictate so much."

Perhaps more jarring for Clough was the denial of a penalty by referee Keith Stroud after Forest 'keeper Jordan Smith collided with the onrushing Lloyd Dyer and flattened the diminutive winger.

Stephen Warnock squares for Lloyd Dyer against Nottingham Forest

Clough's counterpart Warburton reckoned it was a case of "two professionals going for the ball", but Clough argued post-match that regardless of where the ball is, the goalkeeper still made contact with Dyer and it should be a penalty.

To compound Albion's misery, almost instantly after that flash-point Lichaj waltzes into the Brewers' penalty area and coolly slots past Stephen Bywater to double Forest's lead.

"He (Smith) absolutely flattens Lloyd Dyer," added Clough.

"For us it’s a penalty.

"Irrespective of where the ball goes, the goalkeepers come out with the momentum and has absolutely taken him out.

"And 30 seconds later the games over, 2-0.

"It’s been that sort of day for us.

"Frustrating? That’s the most frustrating one we’ve had this season."