Nottingham Forest academy notebook as loanee praised for 'sensational' display

It is not just at first-team level where there is plenty going on at Nottingham Forest as the club aims to progress.

The ambition to continue taking forward steps extends throughout the Reds - and that means having a thriving academy. After all, Forest have a rich tradition of bringing young players through the ranks.

Whether it be players representing the youth sides or spending time out on loan, there is plenty going on at the Nigel Doughty Academy. The Nottingham Post takes a look at the latest news…

Loanee Lamin Sillah was praised by Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth for his performance in a 4-1 thumping of Rotherham United on Saturday. The young forward chipped in with an assist for the equaliser after the Gills had fallen behind, then gave his team the lead in the second half with his second goal for the club.

“He was sensational,” Ainsworth told Kent Online. “(The goal) was what I've brought him here for.

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“Second half, brilliant. First half, I picked him up on a few things, and he's here to learn, he's a youngster, but he's very unpredictable and his pace to get in for that penalty (scored by Ronan Hale for 3-1) was superb. He's had a hand in everything and because he's unpredictable he'll give you something out of the blue and we need that.”

Sillah has made seven appearances for Gillingham in League Two. Four have come as part of the starting XI, including at the weekend as the 20-year-old played more than 80 minutes for the first time.

Teenager Michael Noonan could head to the Nigel Doughty Academy with some silverware in his pocket when he joins the Reds' youth set-up in January. But the highly-rated striker may already have played his final game for Shamrock Rovers.

Noonan recently signed a pre-agreement with Forest and is set to make the switch to the club in the new year. Before then, he is aiming to win the League of Ireland with Rovers.

The Hoops beat rivals Bohemians 2-1 on Monday night. They are now six points clear at the top of the table with three matches left to play, albeit second-placed St Patrick’s have a game in hand.

Rovers’ latest victory was notable not only for what happened on the pitch, however. Tempers reportedly flared between both sets of players and staff after the final whistle, with Noonan among a number people said to have been sent off.

The 42 claim Noonan may now have played his final game for the club. Rovers boss Stephen Bradley said the 18-year-old was hit from behind

Bradley said: “What I’m told is one of the players threw a dig at young Michael from behind. I think that’s what started it. The ref has just informed me a few players have been sent off from both teams after the game.

“We’re playing to win a league. They’re not. We need players. We need people ready for the next three games. We don’t need to get dragged into that. There’s a lot of talking went on there. Silly stuff.”

It didn’t take defender Jack Thompson long to be thrust into the action after putting pen to paper for a new club. Following his departure from the Reds as a third-year professional, the 21-year-old linked up with Ilkeston Town and made his debut against Gainsborough Trinity on Tuesday night.

Thompson played the full 90 minutes of the Robins’ 3-1 defeat. Recently-appointed Ilkeston boss Ryan Hindley is looking forward to working with him.

Following the ex-Red’s arrival, Hindley told the club’s website: "This is the calibre of player we want at the club. A leader, a winner, and someone I can’t wait to work with, welcome Jack!"

Thompson made close to 100 appearances for Forest’s B Team and also captained the side. He previously had a loan spell with Barrow in League Two, featuring on 10 occasions during the second half of last season.

It proved to be a difficult trip across the Trent for Forest’s B Team in midweek. A tough second half resulted in a 5-1 thumping by neighbours Notts County in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy.

The deficit had been just 1-0 at the break. Keehan Willows had made a couple of fine saves to keep his team in the game and his teammates had responded well to falling behind in the 11th minute.

The Magpies eased to victory after the restart, though, as they notched up the goals. A lovely bit of a play and a composed finish saw Buba Sanneh grab a consolation effort for the visitors at the death

The Reds are third in the Northern Group F table after two games played. Next up is a Premier League 2 clash with Manchester United Under-21s on Friday evening.

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