Nottingham Forest 0-2 Huddersfield Town: Aaron Rowe & Juninho Bacuna move Terriers clear of drop zone
- Published
Aaron Rowe slots his second senior goal as Huddersfield claimed only their third league win of 2021
Huddersfield boosted their hopes of securing Championship safety with a comfortable win at a below-par Nottingham Forest.
The hosts started brightly, with Filip Krovinovic's low shot forcing a good early save from Ryan Schofield, but they were undone by two sloppy pieces of play.
Aaron Rowe pounced on James Garner's loose pass back towards his defence and placed the ball past advancing goalkeeper Brice Samba for his second senior goal.
And when Forest again surrendered possession, Juninho Bacuna capped a quick counter by smashing a fierce rising shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Huddersfield's third win in 20 league matches moves them up to 18th and eight points clear of the bottom three, while Forest stay 16th after their first defeat in five matches.
Only the Championship's top three had conceded fewer goals than Chris Hughton's side before kick-off, but their customary discipline went missing and they were twice punished for loose play.
Huddersfield arrived on a wretched run of just one win in 15 away trips, having scored just six goals in the past 14 of those, but improved after weathering Forest's good start.
Samba denied Rowe and Holmes' low shot before the former gave the visitors a deserved lead in first-half stoppage-time.
Alex Mighten's cross gave Ryan Yates a chance to level, but his back-post header lacked power, and moments later Bacuna doubled the lead.
Scott McKenna forced Schofield into action, and Glenn Murray flashed a shot just wide as the hosts sought a way back, yet they almost fell further behind when former Derby County defender Richard Keogh met a whipped free-kick but turned it wide.
Nottingham Forest manager Chris Hughton told BBC Radio Nottingham:
"Really disappointed, particularly after our last home performance.
"I was really hoping we could replicate that and in the first 20 minutes, I thought we did.
"I thought we made two mistakes for the goals, which hasn't been like us."
Huddersfield Town manager Carlos Corberan:
"That was a very necessary win. We know how important those three points are for us.
"We defended very strongly and had opportunities on the counter-attack, using one with Bacuna's goal.
"Our level of commitment and spirit was high."