Huddersfield Town vs Nottingham Forest. Sky Bet Championship.
The John Smith's StadiumAttendance17,462.
Huddersfield 0-2 Nottingham Forest: Lewis Grabban steers side to first win of season
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Huddersfield and Nottingham Forest at the John Smith's Stadium as Lewis Grabban and a Lee Nicholls own goal saw Forest win their first game of the post-Chris Hughton era
Saturday 18 September 2021 18:25, UK
Managerless Nottingham Forest claimed their first Championship victory of the season as they began life after Chris Hughton with an impressive 2-0 win at Huddersfield.
Hughton was sacked on Thursday morning with Forest rooted to the foot of the Championship table and while they remain bottom, they managed to claim a morale-boosting victory at the John Smith's Stadium under interim head coach Steven Reid.
A first-half strike from Lewis Grabban and an own goal by Lee Nicholls just after half-time saw Forest not only pick up their first Championship win after six defeats in seven matches, but it is also the first time they have scored more than one goal in a league game since April.
Huddersfield, meanwhile, have now lost two of their last three league fixtures following a positive start to the campaign.
Forest were rewarded for their bright start to the match as Grabban put them ahead in the 22nd minute. Brennan Johnson picked up the ball inside his own half and used his blistering pace to beat Levi Colwill before putting in a fine cross to meet the diving head of Grabban, who steered the ball inside Nicholls' front post.
Trending
- Usyk vs Fury 2: Start time, ring walks, undercard and odds
- PL Predictions: More dropped points for Arsenal at Palace?
- Papers: Man Utd considering Rashford loan exit in January
- Fury's beard 'must be cut!' Team Usyk to push complaint
- Fury weighs in career-heaviest as both fighters remain fully clothed!
- Fernandez: My transformation under Maresca explained
- Transfer Centre LIVE! Dele says goodbye to Everton - Como next?
- Man Utd latest: 'Devastated' Mount out for several weeks
- Ange to Slot: I'm not a football evangelist, I'm a naughty little boy!
- Liverpool latest: Slot responds to Alexander-Arnold legacy comments
There could be an argument that Grabban should have had two goals in the first 20 minutes as he also struck a volley straight at Nicholls. Manchester United loanee James Garner played in a beautiful ball to find an unmarked Grabban who should have done better.
After downing Blackpool 3-0 in midweek, Huddersfield looked disjointed in their build-up play and rarely strung multiple passes together. Town began to keep more possession after falling behind but threatened very little when going forward and the visitors were organised at the back and at half-time were by far the better side.
Forest continued their fine start to the match with an even better start in the second half as just three minutes after the restart, they doubled their lead through a Nicholls own goal.
Ryan Yates' effort from distance was mishandled by Nicholls who parried the ball into the feet of Joe Lolley. Lolley's strike from the six-yard box took a deflection off Nicholls and into the back of the net. Nicholls could only blame himself for not holding onto Yates' effort from distance which presented a wonderful opportunity for Lolley to strike.
Huddersfield's reaction to going two goals behind was similar to the way they responded to conceding the first. Carlos Corberan's side yet again started to get a hold of possession but remained lifeless in front of goal and never troubled Brice Samba.
Coberan's frustration started to show in the final few minutes as his side allowed the match to peter out without ever putting up much of a fight.
What the managers said...
Huddersfield's Carlos Corberan: "For me, they started the game better than we started. They started competing and winning challenges that we can't lose to compete in the game. It is true we didn't start well enough. We didn't attack well enough and when you don't attack well, you are going to suffer counter-attacks and that's what happened.
"In the first counter-attack they have, they scored. We need to attack with more confidence and intelligence. We didn't play in space in a compact game. Every game is different. For me, we didn't find the right positions in the pitch. We need to work on that, especially against the teams that come and sit back."
Nottingham Forest's caretaker boss Steven Reid: "We enjoyed the moment but we can't get away from the sad week it has been with losing Chris - a superb manager, the man who brought me to the club and a man I have so much respect for. Finding ourselves in a position in the league of where we are it was important that we got something out of the game, we were fully confident.
"I've got to say, the lads fought to the end and made sure they realised what a club it is and the expectations of the fans and I think they delivered that today. The second half of the first half it was difficult. Sometimes you can get picked off but we soaked up the pressure and that second goal knocked them out of their stride a little bit. We put our bodies on the line when we needed to. I think the best way I felt was to match them up. In the first half, we won the ball back in some decent areas of the pitch."