A FINE solo goal from summer signing Jamie Paterson helped Nottingham Forest fight back for a 2-2 draw against Royal Antwerp at the City Ground.
The Reds had taken the lead through a Matt Derbyshire penalty in the seventh minute, but then saw substitutes Jordan Faucher and Roy Bakkenes strike in the second half to put the Belgian side – managed by former Forest coach Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – ahead.
Bakkenes strike was a spectacular effort, as he let fly with an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box.
But Paterson's was perhaps even better as he swivelled neatly 25 yards out, before simply surging through the centre of the visiting defence and slotting home confidently, in the 81st minute.
Just as he had done against Chesterfield, Derbyshire looked lively early on, forcing a smart save from keeper Bjorn Sengier with a low, driven effort in the sixth minute.
Barely a minute after that, after Andy Reid had been felled by Jonas de Roeck, Derbyshire made no mistake from the spot to put the home side ahead, slotting a precise, low shot to the keeper's right and inside the post.
The Belgian side hit back with a powerful, curling effort from the edge of the box by Emrullah Guvenc, which Karl Darlow saved well, stretching high to his right.
Forest were producing a few flashes of dangerous passing football and, following a swift interchange on the edge of the box, Henri Lansbury saw his crisp effort from eight yards out blocked smartly by the keeper's legs.
John Bostock, the former Spurs midfielder, came close to a levelling goal for the visitors when he bent a sublime looking free kick around the wall, which missed the target by a tiny margin as Darlow flung himself across goal to cover.
But Derbyshire was still full of energy for the Reds, planting a powerful header against the bar following good work from Reid, with keeper Sengier well beaten.
Majewski, who had been a quiet figure for the Reds, then had Sengier back tracking with a 25-yard drive that took a nasty deflection to send it looping menacingly towards goal.
Guvenc was a dangerous influence for Antwerp and the forward was unlucky not to find the top corner with a driven, rising shot that flew over the bar by less than a foot.
Forest made one change at the interval, with Greg Halford coming on in place of Hobbs. There had been no suggestion that the Reds' new signing had been suffering with an injury in the first half.
Derbyshire was looking busy again, forcing another save from Sengier with a driven, low shot. But it was at the other end where Darlow had to produce the real acrobatics.
The young Forest stopper looked to be beaten when Kevin Tano sent the ball arrowing towards the top corner, but Darlow, stretching high to his left, showed fine reactions to swat the ball away with his left hand.
Lansbury was presented with a half chance when Sengier only got a weak punch on a Reid corner, but the midfielder failed to properly connect as he tried to find a space to slot the ball through in a packed goal mouth.
Darlow could do little when one of the two Antwerp half-time substitutes, Jordan Faucher, slotted the visitors level. Tano provided a pinpoint pass to slot Faucher through on goal and the striker made no mistake, rolling a simple, but precise, low finish beyond the reach of the keeper and inside the far post.
Lichaj had to make an outstanding challenge to block a shot from Guvenc but, from the resulting corner, Antwerp took the lead in spectacular fashion.
With the ball only half cleared to the edge of the box, Bakkenes took a touch before letting fly with an outstanding half-volley that simply seared into the bottom corner of the net.
Forest responded by bringing on Simon Gillett, Guy Moussi and Dexter Blackstock and, with his second touch of the game, Blackstock found himself through on goal. But he chose to cross, rather than shoot and, while Derbyshire did well to get a shot away, the chance went begging.
Chris Cohen, Jamie Paterson and Jamaal Lascelles then joined the fray off the bench, as Forest continued with their flurry of changes.
At this point, it was the 1,070 travelling fans – in a crowd of 4,798 – who were enjoying themselves the most, producing a constant stream of loud chants from the Lower Bridgford Stand.
If the Antwerp second goal had been good, then Forest's equaliser was perhaps even better, as Paterson pulled the home side level with a fine solo effort. The former Walsall man turned brilliantly, knocked the ball between the Antwerp defence and then slotted calmly beyond the advancing keeper.
It was another encouraging display from the Reds, who have two more friendly outings to come, at Walsall on Tuesday and at Motherwell on Friday, before the new season kicks-off against Huddersfield.
Forest: Darlow, Lichaj (Cohen 72), Collins (Lascelles 73), Hobbs (Halford 45), Harding, Greening (Gillett 62), Majewski (McLaughlin 77), Lansbury (Paterson 72), Reid (Moussi 62), Henderson (Blackstock 62), Derbyshire. Subs: de Vries.
Antwerp: Sengier, Marzo (Iboma 60), de Roeck, Diakite, Vansteenkiste, de Decker, Kil (Bakkenes 45), Bostock, van Tronhout (Faucher 45), Guvenc, Tano. Subs: Nirisarike, Kil, Mombongo-Dues, Carvalho, Brondeel.
Referee: D Coote.
