Championship: Huddersfield Town 1-0 Nottingham Forest - Fraizer Campbell earns first win of season
- Published
Fraizer Campbell's winner was the first Huddersfield goal scored under head coach Carlos Corberan
Fraizer Campbell scored a stunning volleyed winner for Huddersfield against Nottingham Forest, whose boss Sabri Lamouchi admitted he is "feeling the pressure" of the club's worst league start for 66 years.
The hosts, however, were fortunate not to have Jonathan Hogg sent off inside the first minute, the midfielder escaping punishment despite catching Forest debutant Harry Arter on his shin with a studs-up challenge.
Forest, who last lost their opening three games of a league campaign in 1954, could have been a man down themselves before half-time, with Samba Sow avoiding his second caution in eight minutes despite a late challenge on Alex Pritchard.
With great athleticism and technique, Campbell scored his and Huddersfield's first league goal of the season to earn the Terriers their first points of the campaign.
Victory was Huddersfield's first under Spanish head coach Carlos Corberan and increases the scrutiny on Forest boss Lamouchi, who are winless in four league and cup games to start the campaign after missing out on a play-off spot in July following a late-season collapse.
Forest made seven changes following their defeat by Cardiff a week earlier, with Republic of Ireland midfielder Arter among four debutants having moved to the City Ground just three days earlier.
He was not hurt by the early tackle from Hogg, who failed to see out the half as he went off with a hip injury and was replaced with recent Ajax arrival Carel Eiting in the 44th minute.
Terriers goalkeeper Ben Hamer's diving save to tip a curled effort from Sammy Ameobi from the edge of the area over the bar was a moment of quality from both players, while at the other end the visitors were lucky not to concede after Brice Samba spilled a Josh Koroma shot and Campbell tested the keeper on the rebound.
France youth international Loic Mbe Soh, who joined from Paris St-Germain in the summer and was one of three debutants in the back four for Forest, called Hamer into action just before the break with a towering header and what proved to be their last major chance of the night.
Nine minutes after the break, Harry Toffolo's cross from the left found Campbell to score a deserved and beautifully-taken winner.
Lewis Grabban, Forest's top scorer last season, was brought on to replace Lyle Taylor but could only flash a shot narrowly wide as the Reds searched for their first goal of the campaign.
The Terriers finished with a flurry of chances, with Adama Diakhaby seeing an effort blocked, while Samba made a double save to keep the substitute out again in the final minute before also denying Koroma.
'I feel the pressure, I can't say no'
Forest head coach Sabri Lamouchi: "I feel the pressure, I can't say no. The owner gave me all the players I want.
"We need to try to be positive and to find a solution to get out of this situation. The players need something they can turn into a positive and get confidence from.
"I don't have the answer to how long I will have to turn it around.
"It would be very easy for me to find an excuse and blame the referee, but I don't want to find some excuse.
"Some situations against us have not gone our way and that happens when you're in a bad situation."
Huddersfield head coach Carlos Corberan: "I thought that was a positive performance. We shared chances with them in the first half, but we continued and the goal was the result of the mentality of the team.
"We knew we would get chances on the counter attack after the goal and we tried to use the pace of our players and the space in behind.
"Fraizer Campbell has worked hard after his injury and he was in the right place in the box to score tonight."