Having spent much of the campaign competing for automatic promotion, failure to achieve that target would come as a bitter blow to a Bournemouth side who made several quality additions during the January transfer window.
Nevertheless, despite the influx in fresh faces, the Cherries still have work to do in order to get over the line, a cause not helped by four draws in six matches.
In total, 10 points have been collected from six fixtures, the latest win coming in clinical fashion against Blackburn Rovers at the weekend, but Scott Parker’s side have been unable to shake off a relentless Forest.
On a positive note, Bournemouth know that their fate is still in their own hands with victory on home turf on Tuesday evening being enough to return to the Premier League with a game to spare.
However, with Forest having edged ahead of Bournemouth in the goal-difference stakes, Parker knows the possible consequences of defeat, cranking up the nerves ahead of such a pivotal clash.
Dominic Solanke netted his 29th goal of the campaign at Ewood Park, but there is an argument that it is Forest who possess the in-form frontman of this contest.
However, he all of a sudden has seven goals to his name in a Forest shirt, five of which have come in his last four outings with a hat-trick being scored against another of his former clubs Swansea City on Saturday.
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Steve Cooper knew what he was getting when he signed one of his former players at the midway stage of the campaign, and it is now proving to be an inspired piece of business.
Forest have been simply stunning under Cooper’s watch since his arrival in September, although collecting 27 points from a possible 30 during the run-in is a quite staggering return.
While a playoff would not be deemed as disastrous as it would for Bournemouth, Cooper will want to avoid a third successive appearance in that part of the campaign, the other two times ending in disappointment.
