Huddersfield Town 1-0 Nottingham Forest (EFL Championship) 25.09.20

Sabri Lamouchi played all his cards last night as he gave five new debutants their first start in Garibaldi Red with seven changes from the side that lost against Cardiff City last week with only two survivors from the starting XI that saw Forest beat Huddersfield in June.

The tinkering, the statement, the changes however, did not work.

Forest were beaten for the third consecutive league match for the first time in 66 years. The Reds have now lost four successive games this season without scoring a goal, have been beaten in six straight matches overall and have not won a game for over ten games since they last beat Bristol City on the 1^st July.

However which way you look at it, things are not great for Forest and their Coach Sabri Lamouchi is now living on borrowed time, his only saving grace, the changes he made will need time to gel, whether he’ll get time is another question.

In truth Forest ‘did better’ last night but in facing a side who like Forest, had got off to a disappointing start to the season with two opening match defeats, it leaves little consolation.

Cyrus Christie was first to test Town goalkeeper Ben Hamer with a shot comfortably saved before a smart Forest passing move saw Ameobi cut in left footed with dazzling feet before curling a fierce drive well tipped over.

Huddersfield had chances themselves with Samba spilling a shot by Koroma which Campbell couldn’t capitalise on before new signing Mbe Soh lost his marker from a corner up the other end only to see his header well saved by Hamer diving to his left.

Signs that Forest could at least offer a threat this season going forward as the first half drew to a goalless close.

In the second half Huddersfield started bright and the best move of the match was finished by Frazier Campbell on 54 minutes. Slick play down the left wing saw Toffolo get to the bye-line and pull back for the 33 year old journeyman striker to volley home into the roof of the Reds net.

Substitute Lewis Grabban tried a long range volley which failed to trouble the keeper the best of a poor second half for Forest who attacked and got done on the counter attack when Koroma broke to tee up former red loanee Diakhaby who shot straight at Samba when it looked easier to score. As the rebound fell back to Koroma the 21 year old who was a nuisance all night should really have wrapped things up, but Samba stayed big and made a smart save all be it too little too late.

A punishing defeat over Forest on a day which started with so much optimism, Rome certainly wasn’t built in a day and this team need more time to gel in able to climb back up the table and away from any early danger of relegation fears.

What will come next? A win? Or a Sabri sacking? It seems there’s now urgency on one of those outcomes happening very soon.

Huddersfield Town: Hamer, Avila, Stearman, Crichlow, Toffolo, Bacuna, Hogg (Eiting 43), Mbenza (Diakhaby 66), Pritchard, Koroma, Campbell (Brown 81).

Nottingham Forest: Samba, Christie, Mbe Soh, McKenna, Blackett, Colback, Arter, Sow (Mighten 57), Freeman (Lolley 76), Taylor (Grabban 66), Ameobi.

Venue: Kirklees Stadium

*Main image @NFFC Luke Freeman battles at the John Smith Stadium.