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Nottingham Forest are creating chances - but must make more of them, if they want to flourish in the Championship.

Martin O’Neill is encouraged by the number of opportunities his side have carved out in recent weeks.

But he warns there is still room for significant improvement, when it comes to making more of them.

Forest have secured back-to-back victories for the first time since September, against Middlesbrough and QPR.

But, even amid the thumping 3-0 win over Middlesbrough, the Reds could have netted more goals, as keeper Darren Randolph played a key role in keeping the score down.

And it is an area in which the Reds boss wants to see his side sharpen up on, both in their final game of the season, against Bolton this weekend, and beyond.

“Against Middlesbrough, for example, we created a number of chances in the first half hour of the game,” said O’Neill. “But, in fairness, you probably thought the same as I… and that was, will we get a goal here?

“That is the difficulty. We do not always score enough goals.

“We created chances in that game, which is great. But the matches we have lost in recent weeks, in quick succession, we did great chances.

“We created loads of chances against Sheffield Wednesday - and we were unable to take them. Eventually that will cost you.

“It was the same for the opening 35 minutes against Middlesbrough. We looked good; we looked as if we could play a little bit, which is great.

“We found pockets of space. But, more importantly, we defended pretty well, which was important.

“But eventually we had to get that goal. We got it from the penalty and, in the second half, we created chance, after chance, after chance.

“That was terrific for me, as a manager. That was terrific for us as backroom staff and coaches. We are creating chances - but we still have to put them in the net.”

(Image: Dan Westwell)

O’Neill is already looking forward to his first pre-season working with the Forest squad and is convinced it is something they can improve on.

“Pre-season is an excellent opportunity to get a pattern of play that you are used to,” he said. “For example, when wide men have the ball, you want to have options. You want to look up and see people coming short to help you and it is great to know that there are players close to you.

“You also want to know that if you can beat your man and whip in a cross, that somebody will be coming in to try to attack it.

“It was great against Middlesbrough, we started off terrifically well, because we passed and passed; we probed.

“And in the end we were still thinking that we had to get a goal.

“For all our very fine play, I did not have a Daryl Murphy racing in, bursting through to try to head it in, or anything like that. You still wonder whether, with all your good play, can you get the goal?”