Nottingham Forest Manager Nuno Espirito Santo Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Nottingham Forest's quest for Champions League football next season suffered a setback when they were held to a 1-1 Premier League draw by Crystal Palace on Monday as Murillo cancelled out Eberechi Eze's penalty for the home side.
The draw leaves Forest in sixth place in the table on 61 points from 35 games, two points behind fifth-placed Chelsea in the final Champions League qualification position.
Mid-table Palace took the lead at Selhurst Park when Eze converted a penalty on the hour-mark after Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels had felled Tyrick Mitchell. Eze also hit the crossbar late on.
The lead lasted four minutes before Neco Williams' shot was deflected into the Palace net by defender Murillo, who limped off shortly afterwards with a hamstring injury that could see him miss Forest's run-in to the end of the campaign.
"It was a game of two halves," Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo told Sky Sports. "First half we controlled the game. Second half we started good but then Palace reacted. It was good for us that we achieved the goal so soon after the (Palace) score.
"The final games (of the season) are going to be like this, nervous games, tight games. Everybody is fighting for something. It is up to us to react."
Palace have still not beaten Forest in the top division since 1991 but stepped closer to their Premier League record points total of 49. They have 46 with three games to play.
Champions Liverpool have 82 points, Arsenal 67, Manchester City 64, Newcastle United 63 and Chelsea 63.
This weekend Newcastle host Chelsea, while Nottingham Forest play Leicester City.
Forest's last two matches are against West Ham and Chelsea.
-Reuters/RNZ
