Swansea City 1-0 Nottingham Forest (EFL Championship) 17.02.21

Nottingham Forest were beaten by a late winner in South Wales as Connor Roberts for the second time this season inflicted single goal misery on Chris Hughton’s men.

It was a repeat scoreline and scorer of the earlier league match at the City Ground in November and whilst the Swans have now done the treble over Forest after thumping the reds in the cup last month too, last night was so much better in performance, little reward however with the final outcome and coming away from Wales with nothing to show.

The Reds previously unbeaten in four and with one defeat in eleven started bright, full of confidence they won the first corner of the game as Krovinovic shot deflected over whilst Grabban’s low driven cross was inches away from Lolley tapping home.

Krovinovic trying his luck again, volleyed over on the half hour before Knockaert ended the half with the Reds hitting the bar, a short corner saw the Frenchman whip in dangerously a curling effort that had Woodman in goal scampering to his relief.

As they did in the first half, Forest started bright in the second too and Knockaert causing problems for Swansea headed over just two minutes in, following a good cross by Ribeiro.

Lolley then had two strikes on target with one from distance forcing Woodman into a save, another inside the area gathered more comfortably.

As Forest looked ever-more dangerous on the counter-attack their big moment to take the lead came with just thirteen minutes left as Cafu raced away to find usually the coolest man in the team Lewis Grabban, the centre forward stopped in his tracks as the Reds were three attackers against one defender, a costly decision that allowed the Swans their chance to payback.

And pay back they did, three minutes remaining Connor Roberts heading in at the back post to beat Samba who up until then had a relatively quiet night. Reds suffering their first defeat since the last time they visited the Liberty Stadium, whilst that day they were deservedly knocked out of the FA Cup, last night they were hard done by in losing against a side gunning for promotion, who they more than matched in quality, for eighty-six and a half minutes at least.

Swansea City: Woodman, Naughton (Morris 67), Bennett, Guehi, Roberts, Hourihane (Smith 88), Fulton, Bidwell, Grimes, Lowe (Arriola 83), Ayew.

Nottingham Forest: Samba, Christie, Figueiredo, Worrall, Ribeiro, Garner, Cafu, Knockaert (Mighten 90), Krovinovic (Taylor 88), Lolley, Grabban (Murray 75).

Venue: Liberty Stadium

*Main image @NFFC Knockaert goes close as Forest fall to late defeat.