Nottingham Forest 1-0 Bristol City (EFL Championship) 01.07.20

It was a hard-earned three points for Nottingham Forest as a Tiago Silva free kick was enough to see off a Bristol City side that ended up playing with ten men.

A niggly first half of football at the City Ground left the home side frustrated as the Reds failed to muster up any attack of real intent. A lengthy stoppage in the first few minutes saw Matty Cash clash heads with Callum O’Dowda and that set the tone for almost an hours stopping and starting with more physios than chances on the pitch prior to the break.

Afobe offering the visitors their best opportunities before shooting at Samba and then heading wide all inside the opening fourteen minutes. On 21 a long ball set Lewis Grabban free and as Bristol City Goalkeeper Niki Maenpaa raced out he looked to twist an ankle before defenders cleared the danger from Forest’s front man in getting a shot away.

Another stoppage saw Maenpaa replaced by Bentley and although Lolley tested the replacement keeper on 34 it was as good as it got going forward for Forest as they approached half time.

As the clock struck 45 Matty Cash took another blow to the head as he was whacked by Andreas Weimann with the Referee eventually calling halt to a half that was low on quality.

Lolley was withdrawn at the break, worryingly with Derby ahead at the weekend and it was the visitors marginally the better of the two teams during the opening with Weimann crossing towards the back post well cleared under pressure by Figueiredo before a header from a long throw in fell straight in the arms of Samba.

On 63 minutes however it was the touch of class we had all been waiting for as Tiago Silva curled home a free kick up and over the wall to put Forest 1-0 up.

That goal gave Forest the cushion to defend and having saw off a couple free kicks and long throw ins to the box the Reds were given a boost by City defender Ashley Williams on 78 who recklessly saw red after pushing Yuri Ribeiro following an incident where he kicked out at the same player.

A foul on Grabban on 84 lead to a yellow card for Vyner and from the resulting free kick Ryan Yates got a bust nose from the Goalkeeper who punched him and the ball as far as Figueiredo who couldn’t overhead back on target.

That enforced a change as Sow replaced Yates with Dawson also brought on to bolster the Reds defence as Sabri Lamouchi looked to cling on to his sides single goal lead.

It could have been all square as Afobe headed his third chance over the bar after a deep cross was headed back to him and Forest were made to wait nervously with eight minutes stoppage time played but in the end, the moment of quality, in a match of little moments of quality, was enough to see Forest through to gaining all three points and move them back into fourth place in the league ahead of a very tasty derby encounter at the weekend.

Nottingham Forest: Samba, Cash, Figueiredo, Worrall, Ribeiro, Watson, Yates (Sow 88), Lolley (da Costa 46), Silva (Dawson 88), Ameobi, Grabban (Walker 90).

Bristol City: Maenpaa (Bentley 28), Vyner, Williams, Baker, Dasilva, Nagy, Smith, O’Dowda (Paterson 76), Weimann (Palmer 76), Wells (Diedhiou 64), Afobe.

Venue: City Ground

*Main image @NFFC Tiago Silva scored a sublime free kick to give Forest all three points.