Nottingham Forest 2-0 Peterborough United (EFL Championship) 04.12.21
Nottingham Forest beat Peterborough United at the City Ground to go five points below the playoff places all be it in thirteenth spot in the Championship table, the Reds now unbeaten in seven games with just one defeat in fourteen since the sacking of Chris Hughton.
Steve Cooper’s side have also gone three games without conceding a goal with just three goals conceded since the 4-0 thumping at home by Fulham, the only loss on the new Head Coach’s reign so far.
In a goalless first half, Zinckernagel tested the palms of Cornell in the Posh goal before a half chance for the away side when Dembele threaded in Grant who poked straight at Samba. The ex-Red should have done much better with his finish.
Lewis Grabban then raced through, but well marshalled by the Peterborough defence who forced the Forest top goalscorer wide, Grabban shooting into the side netting when the angle looked tight.
In the second half, Peterborough had their best opportunity to take the lead when Dembele crashed against the post, a long ball by the goalkeeper was headed onto Dembele by Clarke-Harris, the tricky number ten a constant nuisance to Joe Worrall and co getting the better of the big Reds centre back before crashing the ball off the outside of the woodwork as a relieved Brice Samba stood.
Forest themselves huffed and puffed as Briain Ojeda blazed over from outside the box, on 72 minutes the Paraguayan played in Djed Spence who crossed in low to Lewis Grabban, the ball flicking off the back of Grabban’s heal falling kindly for James Garner who made no mistake from close range to put the Reds one up.
Twelve minutes later it was 2-0, a low James Garner corner whipped in seemed to hit Yates on the chest to give the Reds all three vital points.
Certainly not a classic Trentside, but a game in which the Reds had to dig in to eventually take the match, Head Coach Steve Cooper stating after “First half, we didn’t play anywhere near our level of what I expect from the team. Second half we were excellent, but if we want to win games on a regular basis, we’ve got to play two halves like we did the second.”
Next up for Forest is a tough trip to Cooper’s old stomping ground at Swansea City, where a winning return to Wales is very much a possibility, with the Reds having just taken over the Swans in the league, next Saturday’s opponents having lost their last two games.
Nottingham Forest: Samba, Spence, Worrall, McKenna, Colback, Yates, Ojeda (Cafu 80), Johnson, Garner, Zinckernagel, Grabban (Taylor 85).
Peterborough United: Cornell, Knight, Edwards, Butler (Coventry 68), Thompson, Norburn (Szomdics 78), Taylor, Burrows, Grant, Dembele, Clarke-Harris.
Venue: City Ground (28,303)
*Main image @NFFC Ryan Yates scores the Reds second goal of the match.
