Nottingham Forest 0-2 Cardiff City: Moore double seals Bluebirds win
- Published
Kieffer Moore, who has scored three Wales goals in six appearances, joined the Bluebirds from Wigan for about £2m
Kieffer Moore's brace saw Cardiff City heap more pressure on Nottingham Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi with a 2-0 win.
Wales striker Moore powered the Bluebirds ahead with a free header from a corner inside three minutes.
Moore doubled his tally and Cardiff's lead by sweeping home before half-time as Forest again failed to defend a routine cross into the penalty area.
Forest were much improved after the break but could not find a way to beat Cardiff goalkeeper Alex Smithies.
Both sides suffered defeat on the opening day of the season and came into this contest with their fans fearing a hangover effect from how they ended the last Championship campaign, with Forest imploding to miss out on a play-off spot and Cardiff losing to Fulham in the play-off semi-finals.
Forest boss Lamouchi is a heavy favourite with bookmakers to be the first manager in the Championship to leave his post this term and Cardiff represented the worst opponents possible for the hosts.
Nottingham Forest have now lost their past six home league matches against Cardiff, their worst home losing run against an opponent in their history.
Forest have failed to win any of their past nine matches in all competitions, losing the past five in a row, and they could not have made a worse start in this one with Moore completely unchallenged as he rose to power home Marlon Pack's inviting corner for his first Cardiff goal.
Cardiff City: Neil Harris delighted with Kieffer Moore's double at Nottingham Forest
Forest's fragility at the back was matched by some ponderous play in attack and they failed to take a gift-wrapped chance when Lewis Grabban poked over Luke Freeman's inviting cross from close range.
The Bluebirds almost extended their lead when Moore fed Joe Ralls who charged through on goal, but the ball just got away from him and Brice Samba was able to smother.
Sheyi Ojo then selfishly shot at the near post rather than squaring to give Ralls a tap-in, with Samba again making a save.
The reprieve for the hosted lasted only moments as they failed to clear a Pack long throw and Moore was able to guide in his second from close range to put Cardiff in complete control after Sean Morrison's header.
The hosts improved after the break and missed another golden close-range chance when Smithies tipped over Ryan Yates' header, but they never managed to sustain any pressure on the Bluebirds' goal despite plenty of possession.
Smithies also denied Grabban as Forest showed greater intensity with substitute Ryan Taylor - who came on as a tactical change after just 38 minutes - improving them and Cardiff were forced into a late reshuffle with left-back Joe Bennett forced off through injury.
Alex Mighten almost found a consolation goal in stoppage time but he shot wide as the Bluebirds held on for a valuable victory that will only increase the focus on Lamouchi's future.
Nottingham Forest manager Sabri Lamouchi told BBC Radio Nottingham:
"The team is losing, but I'm losing too. This is my job. I believe I am the right manager to get out of this situation.
"We have the players we want, we just need to find the right solution. We have lost six points and we can't accept that.
"I didn't want to wait until the break [to make a tactical change]. We probably needed to do more and to be more solid."
Cardiff City manager Neil Harris told BBC Radio Wales:
"I am really pleased in so many ways with the performance.
"I am really pleased for the big man [Kieffer More] getting off the mark. His all-round play was excellent.
"The team responded well to the criticism that we hadn't started the season very well, everything came to fruition on the pitch.
"The first half was exactly how I want my Cardiff City side to play, now and in the future. In the second half we dug in and that's a good sign too... against a good Forest side."