Twenty-seven points thrown away from winning positions – it’s the statistic that perfectly sums up Newcastle’s bruising league season.
The visitors should have been out of sight at the City Ground.
They had numerous opportunities to open the scoring in the second half – even before substitute Harvey Barnes stepped up once again to deliver another goalscoring cameo.
The forward has bagged more memorable goals this season, including an opener against Barcelona and a double against Manchester City, but it looked like this strike would keep Newcastle’s campaign alive as they chase a European spot.
But Eddie Howe’s side have rarely looked entirely comfortable when in front this season.
Despite having far more recovery and preparation time than Nottingham Forest, who were playing their third game of the week, Newcastle were punished for some tired defending late on as Elliott Anderson haunted his boyhood club.
His name had been sung by the away end at one point, as a much-admired academy graduate who was only sold so the club could avoid a breach of profit and sustainability rules in 2024.
But it was Forest supporters who were serenading the ‘Geordie Maradona’ at full-time after he drove into the box and fired beyond a helpless Nick Pope.