West Brom 2 Forest 2 - Report and pictures

Darren Moore's men gifted Nottingham Forest the lead six minutes in with yet another defensive error that led to an unlucky Stefan Johansen own goal, but drew level in the 54th minute through Jacob Murphy's first for the club.

Forest midfielder Ryan Yates looked to have won it with 25 minutes to go, volleying in off the inside of the post.

But then Dwight Gayle bought a penalty with a minute to play, flinging himself over a challenge from Alexander Milosevic that never came.

Rodriguez slammed home his sixth successive penalty out of six to keep up his 100 per cent record for the season and earn the Baggies another home draw.

It was a topsy-turvy game, but one Albion will feel frustrated by after struggling to break down a resolute Forest side for most of it.

It will be their calamitous defending which will be scrutinised after this game, with question marks over both visitors' goals.

Martin O'Neill's men, however, will feel agrieved for the late penalty that shouldn't have been awarded.

Moore made two changes to the side that beat Stoke, resting veteran midfielder Gareth Barry ahead of his return to Villa Park, and replacing injured Ahmed Hegazi with Manchester City loanee Tosin Adarabioyo.

With the maximum of five loanees already in the squad, Jefferson Montero was left out completely.

The Baggies started on top, and were getting into the faces of their visitors, but then six minutes in they gave Forest the upper hand with a goal that felt all too familiar.

O'Neill's men pounced on Craig Dawson's tame pass inside to Jake Livermore, and a neat passing move from Ben Osborn, Jack Colback and Lewis Grabban allowed the striker to square across goal.

It was on a plate for Ryan Yates, but somehow the 21-year-old's shot from three yards out was heading wide before it bounced unkindly off Stefan Johansen and into the net for an unfortunate own goal six minutes into his home debut.

The goal rattled the Baggies, who took time to regain their composure, but too many of their attacks in the first half an hour were breaking down with Jacob Murphy.

When Albion did have a chance to counter, there was no-one willing to commit their man, allowing Forest to get back in and recover.

Rekeem Harper and Stefan Johansen were trying to inject some tempo into proceedings, as was Jay Rodriguez, who at least made Costel Pantilimon work with two long-range shots.

But the visitors were defending resolutely, often with 10 men behind the ball and just Lewis Grabban up front.

The only way Forest looked like adding to their lead was from another Albion mistake at the back, and when Adarabioyo's pass hit Grabban's legs, they nearly had another chance.

Murphy woke up after half an hour, and nearly found Rodriguez at the far post after drifting in between two Forest players, before slipping a quiet Dwight Gayle in behind soon after.

But the home fans greeted the end of a frustrating first half with a smattering of boos after a disappointing opening period.

The Birmingham Road End wanted a penalty soon after the restart when Kieran Gibbs's cross hit Saidy Janko, but the ball was nowhere near his arm and the appeals were correctly waved away.

The atmosphere was flat until Harper woke the crowd up with an outrageous first-time volley from a Gibbs cross that clattered the crossbar.

And that sparked a period of pressure for the Baggies which delivered an equaliser in the 54th minute.

It was scrappy, but Murphy won't care. After a spell of pinball in the box, Holgate lashed the ball back into the melee where Rodriguez slid in to try and divert it goalwards.

He inadvertantly killed it dead, but laid it on a plate for Murphy to sidefoot in his first Albion goal from eight yards out.

The Hawthorns was rocking now, and the Baggies went hunting for a second as Moore sent for the cool head of Barry to replace the underperforming Jake Livermore.

But Forest restored their lead immediately after that substitute, and this one was definitely Yates's.

When Albion failed to clear a long throw, the youngster volleyed in off the post with 25 minutes to go. The Baggies were going to have to do it all again.

Moore sent for Wes Hoolahan with 20 minutes to go, but it was Forest who threatened next, and Sam Johnstone kept the Baggies in it with a strong hand to deny Grabban.

Claudio Yacob was sent on to see the game out, and received a round of applause from the home crowd on his Hawthorns return.

Yacob gave plenty of his former team-mates big hugs on the Hawthorns pitch during the warm-up, and it looked like he would be the one going home happy.

But then Gayle went down in the box over minimal contact, and Rodriguez held his nerve to earn a point for Moore's men.

The Baggies had a chance to put pressure on the top two ahead of their Wednesday night fixtures, but that is now just one win in their last seven home games in the league.

If they have any designs on automatic promotion, they need to convert these draws into victories.

KEY MOMENTS

07 GOAL FOREST - Yates's shot at the far post hits Johansen and goes in after Albion give the ball away in their own half.

52 Harper smacks the crossbar with an outrageous first-time volley from a Gibbs cross

54 GOAL ALBION - Murphy stabs home from eight yards out after pinball in the box.

65 GOAL FOREST - Yates volleys in off the post after Albion fail to clear a long throw.

89 GOAL ALBION - Rodriguez converts from the spot after Gayle buys a penalty.

ALBION MAN OF THE MATCH

Rekeem Harper - Tried to inject some tempo and cracked the bar with a volley

POSITION IN THE TABLE

4th, with 54 points from 31 games.

TEAMS

Albion (4-3-3): Johnstone; Holgate, Dawson, Adarabioyo, Gibbs; Harper, Livermore (c) (Barry 64), Johansen (Hoolahan 70); Murphy, Rodriguez, Gayle.

Unused subs: Bond, Mears, Bartley, Field, Hoolahan, Tulloch.

Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Pantilimon; Janko, Milosevic, Benalouane, Robinson; Watson, Yates (Yacob 78); Lolley, Colback, Osborn; Grabban (Murphy 79).

Unused subs: Steele, Carvalho, Goncalves, Bonatini, Ansarifard.

Referee: Lee Mason

Attendance: 22,691 (2,205 away)