NOTTINGHAM Forest were left with work to do to secure their play-off dreams at half-time at the City Ground, following a remarkable fight back from Leicester City.
Simon Cox had given the Reds a third minute lead as the home side stormed out of the blocks.
But then Matty James and Andy King struck as Leicester responded with a lengthy spell of domination that might have seen them score more goals.
Bolton were trailing 2-0 at home to Blackpool, but themselves fought back to go into the break level at 2-2. It was a similar story at Selhurst Park, where Palace had trailed 1-0 to Peterborough, but then equalised to make it 1-1 at half-time.
If the scores remained the same, Forest would need to come back from behind and win to have any chance of climbing into the top six.
Chris Cohen was given the chance to play in midfield for the first time since Billy Davies returned to Forest, as the manager made two changes for the massive local derby clash with Leicester City.
Cohen returned from a thigh injury, but was drafted into midfield, rather than resuming his recent position at left back.
The other change saw Darius Henderson restored up front, after he had completed his three match suspension. The two players to miss out were Billy Sharp and Radi Majewski, who both dropped to a hugely attack minded bench.
The Foxes were without defender Paul Konchesky, who failed a fitness test and was replaced at left back by Jeff Schlupp, with David Nugent restored to the front line.
Forest won a free kick within the first two minutes as Andy Reid was fouled on the edge of the box by Ritchie De Laet – and the midfielder almost carved out a goal as a result.
Reid bent the free kick around the defensive wall and dipping towards goal, but it found the roof of the net after skimming the top of the bar.
It took only three minutes for Forest to take the lead, however, as Cox kept his composure to slam the ball home from close range.
The striker had initially failed to connect after Michael Keane had failed to clear, but he made no mistake at the second attempt, lifting a shot high into the back of the net before celebrating deliriously with the fans in the corner of the pitch.
Forest's confidence had surged through the roof at this point but, while the conjured up a couple of promising attacks as the visitors backed off, it was Leicester who almost carved out an equaliser on the break, as Anthony Knockaert bent a shot narrowly wide of Karl Darlow's far post, from the edge of the box.
Lloyd Dyer then forced a corner for Leicester as they forced a spell of pressure of their own – and Matty James delivered a dangerous ball that flew right across the box.
Knockaert came even closer to clawing Leicester level, as he again pulled the trigger from the edge of the box – and saw his dipping effort brush the top of the bar.
While Darlow had to make an outstanding save to keep Forest ahead, with Nugent hitting a powerful, driven shot that was bound for the top corner until the keeper acrobatically pushed it away.
Dyer was then denied by a goal-saving challenge from Danny Collins, who slid across to prod the ball away as the winger's low shot fizzed towards the bottom corner.
But, from the resulting corner, Leicester did find the net. A quickly taken set-piece saw the ball fed to James, who struck his shot powerfully and, with the aid of a big deflection, it beat a blameless Darlow at his near post.
Some superb work from Adlene Guedioura gave Henri Lansbury the chance to have a crack from the edge of the box – and force an outstanding save from Kasper Schmeichel, jumping high to his right.
But this was an end-to-end affair and Nugent should then have put Leicester ahead but, after opening himself up to shoot from 12 yards, he sent his effort narrowly high and wide of the post.
Darlow then had to make another save as James shot from the edge of the box, with Guedioura half clearing the danger. But, when Dyer crossed immediately from the left, Nugent spurned another chance, failing to connect with what was a free header, at close range.
Forest had to make a change with Halford having picked up a knock, with Radi Majewski brought on. It meant Cohen returning to his recent position at left back and Harding slotting in on the right of defence.
Asides from the shot from Lansbury, it had been 15 minutes dominated almost entirely by the visitors – and Darlow had to make an outstanding save to prevent Dye giving Leicester the lead. The winger had cut in from the right and sent a low, fizzing effort across goal, which the keeper did brilliantly to push away.
Forest could not hold out until half time however, with Knockaert crossing from the left immediately after Nugent looked as though he might have carried the ball out of play. Forest froze for a moment, in costly fashion, with King rising, unmarked, at the far post, to put Leicester into a 43rd minute lead.
Lansbury had a header brilliantly saved in injury time, as Forest lay siege on the Leicester goal. Henderson also had an effort cleared off the line by Schmeichel, as the Foxes held out under a late barrage.
There was time for Lansbury to come close again, sending a shot dipping narrowly over as Forest finally found their confidence again.