Nottingham Forest failed to keep the pressure on the top six yesterday with a lacklustre draw at bottom club Ipswich Town.

Martin O'Neill's men were hoping to take a much needed three points to put to bed a miserable day at the office against Aston Villa last time out, but it wasn't to be for the Reds, who saw various decisions go against them as they settled for a point.

The draw keeps them within touching distance of the top six and amongst a chasing pack which goes all the way down to mid-table, setting up an exciting finish to the Championship season.

However, with Forest chucking points away at crucial times and against teams they'll feel they should be seeing off, it starts to beg the question of if a top six spot might just be a step too far for Forest.

With that thought in mind, it got us here at FLW thinking, and we've looked at TWO reasons why Forest will indeed fall short of the play-off places come the end of the season...

Inconsistency is the pattern for Forest

It's been the same story all season for Forest in this sense.

Everytime the Reds threaten to make a run at the top six and put a good run of form together, they go and drop points when they should be building and putting a string of results together.

You can't do this if you want to make the play-offs, and this could well prove their downfall for this season.

Other teams in better form

In reality, there are only two play-off places to play for. Another reality is there are other teams in far finer form than the Reds.

The likes of Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday just keep on winning, and while Middlesbrough and Bristol City are doing their best to chuck it away, Forest are in the same boat as those two teams.

Forest need a run of three or four wins to really mount a challenge, and they now need to hope those form teams also drop off.