WHEN it came to showing class and humility, the late Brian Clough had it by the bucketload.

On the day Nottingham Forest fans stepped up their efforts to raise funds for a statue commemorating the great man, the current City Ground boss demonstrated he has none of it.

As Hartlepool United, the club where Clough first made his legendary managerial mark, paid a first visit to Forest, Megson launched the sort of amateurish tirade you are more likely to see from Mike Bassett.

Pool defender Micky Nelson was red carded after clashing with Forest striker Jack Lester in an incident made for grapple fans on the edge of the Pool area.

Referee Carl Boyeson didn't see the incident - few did - but after Lester was felled, assistant referee Michael Short drew his attention and Nelson was sent off for the first time in his career.

And it wasn't so much Megson's four-letter tirade venomously spat in the direction of Pool coach Steve Agnew that riled the Pool camp, it was Megson's demands to his players during the incident.

"That always happens between benches,'' Pool boss Martin Scott laughed. "Handbags? Big handbags. Megson wants his team to win, so do I, so does Steve Agnew.

"What I will say is that I will let the referee make decisions and won't influence that. Me and Steve are disappointed that Gary tried to influence the decision.

"There's easy ways to do it - get your players to run around the referee to tell him to send him off is one. I wouldn't do that, I can't speak for him.

"The referee didn't see it, the linesman gave the decision. I am a manager who wouldn't influence the referee - ask Gary.''

Nelson will now miss three games, starting tomorrow at Scunthorpe in the LDV Vans Trophy and Scott admitted: "I didn't see what happened.

"All I can say is that things go off all game in football, strikers trying to get one over on defenders and vice-versa.

"It happened that quick. I will look at the video and if Michael has swung a punch or an elbow, he will be disciplined in-house.

"Nelson is disappointed and we are all disappointed. But if he has done what he has supposed to have done, he deserved to go.

"He's an honest lad and has apologised for getting sent off. Like I say things happen in games and that's when it is up to the officials to help defenders if strikers are doing things off the ball.

"Nelse feels he has let the players down, the supporters down and the club. He's got to learn from it.''

It was in the immediate aftermath of the red card that Pool enjoyed their best spell. One down, Scott went with three at the back, still hoping his midfield runners would get up to work alongside and off lone striker Jon Daly.

But chances, like in the previous hour, were hard to come by and a late penalty sealed things.

At Bristol City two weeks previous, Pool went with the same formation.

Scott agreed with the assertion that, despite winning at Ashton Gate and losing at the City Ground, the opposition had more possession and more chances in the game Pool won.

Forest, for all their glory days of old, are now finding out exactly what Manchester City and Sheffield Wednesday have done in recent seasons - for all their history and size (and arrogance in some cases), it's not easy to get out of this division.

"You're not famous anymore,'' cried the 1,194 away fans. The retort implied that Pool had never lifted any major trophies.

The way their seasons are shaping up, it looks like neither will be lifitng any honours or celebrating success come May.

Pool are in the bottom four, Forest in the play-off mix, but with a side far from attractive.

On this performance, if Kris Commons is worth the £5m valuation Forest have placed on his head, then who knows what a fit Adam Boyd or Joel Porter must be worth.

Pool are desperately missing their free-scoring strikers. They have the ability to create chances from nothing, but on Saturday openings were again hard to come by.

Forest went in front when Darren Williams' tackle saw the ball ricochet out wide for the advancing David Friio. He lifted the ball high into the six-yard area and Gareth Taylor turned it in on the volley.

Just like at Bristol City and unlike at Chesterfield, at least Pool were willing to fling their bodies in the way of shots. Dimi Konstantopoulos, like Russell Hoult at the other end, had little fired directly at him.

Daly created a chance for himself, fashioning a yard of space 20 yards out, but dragged his shot wide, then the striker flicked in Antony Sweeney, but, from a good central position, he could only direct the ball at Hoult.

Humphreys intercepted a Hoult throw aimed towards David Johnson, exchanged passes with Tommy Butler and fizzed over a dangerous ball that just evaded all in the six-yard area.

Friio should have put Forest in control, but blasted well over from ten yards after a quick break when Pool were caught pushing up looking for the leveller.

But the second came when Johnson got goalside of Williams and, after being allowed to play basketball in the Pool half ten minutes earlier, fancied his chances of going down under any challenge.

When Williams approached, the soft spot kick duly arrvied and Eugene Bopp netted.

Scott concluded: "The attitude and commitment of the players was really pleasing before and especially after the incident. I thought we limited them to a few half chances. They got a bit of luck with the goal with a ricochet, but it was a good finish.

"We looked quite comfortable and the players did what we asked of them. When it goes down to ten men we had to change it again and the three at the back looked settled.

"Once you are chasing the game, one down with ten men, you are getting only half-chances. Eifion Williams had one then David Johnson got away for a penalty - a bit of a debatable one - but you get them at times.

"Overall, I'm disappointed to lose but the effort from the players was spot on.''

Result: Nottingham Forest 2, Hartlepool United 0.

Read more about Hartlepool here.