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Aitor Karanka has warned his Nottingham Forest players that they must learn to manage games better, after seeing battling Millwall come back from 2-0 down to claim a draw at the City Ground.

The Reds boss was left frustrated after seeing his side go from being 2-0 up thanks to goals from Joe Lolley and Joao Carvalho – either side of a 14-minute delay for floodlight failure – to only emerging with a point, after the Lions clawed their way back from behind.

Lee Gregory’s 90th minute equaliser denied Forest what would have been a fourth consecutive win at the City Ground, after Shaun Williams had pulled one back in the 75rh minute, with a towering header, when Costel Pantilimon was left clutching at thin air after coming to claim a cross.

“Yes, I am disappointed because this was a game we have not played well, but even despite that, we were still winning 2-0,” said Karanka. “I spoke last weekend about needing to manage games better.

“Today, when we were winning 2-0 at home, that was more important. We have been winning games at home and it was important to keep doing that; to keep moving forward.

“I am disappointed because we should have won this game, even without playing our best.”

Karanka refused to place any blame on the normally reliable shoulders of Pantilimon, who was uncharacteristically shaky between the posts at times during the game.

“I do not want to single out one player or even two players. We win as a team and lose as a team,” he said.

“We need to learn, because we did not play the first half in the way that we should have played.

“We wanted to play on the grass, because they play long-balls. The best way to stop their long-ball game, was to keep the ball.

“But we could not do that. The game was completely flat from the beginning.”