Huddersfield Town 0-2 Nottingham Forest: Lewis Grabban helps managerless Reds to first league win of the season

Lewis GrabbanImage source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Lewis Grabban has scored twice in three matches after failing to find the net in his first five appearances of the season

Caretaker manager Steven Reid guided Nottingham Forest to their first Championship win of the season at in-form Huddersfield.

In their first match since Chris Hughton was dismissed, Forest deservedly ended a 13-match winless league run stretching back to last season against a disjointed Town.

Brennan Johnson sprinted away down the wing from his own half before crossing into the goalmouth for Lewis Grabban to put the Reds in front with a diving header.

And the visitors doubled the lead after the break when Town goalkeeper Lee Nicholls saved smartly from Ryan Yates only to deflect Joe Lolley's follow-up into his own net.

Forest are searching for their 14th permanent manager since June 2011, but looked a different side in the first game after Hughton's sacking on Thursday.

Having scored just five league goals this season under the former Brighton manager, the visitors began positively under Reid and capped a good opening half-hour with Grabban's header, teed up precisely by Johnson's dramatic burst.

The in-form Terriers kicked off with four wins from five in the league, and finally sprung into life after falling behind, going closest when Josh Koroma played in Harry Toffolo, whose shot was smothered by Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba.

Yet they struggled to muster chances throughout the game as Forest defended resiliently, particularly after catching the Terriers cold with a second goal at the start of the second half.

Tom Lees had their best chance to halve the deficit, but headed narrowly wide from Sorba Thomas' corner.

Forest stayed bottom of the table after their first away league win since 2 April, but moved within three points of safety, while Huddersfield dropped to seventh.

Huddersfield boss Carlos Corberan told BBC Radio Leeds:

"In the first counter-attack that they had we didn't stop and didn't manage well in our defence.

"There was just one player in the box and they use one bad attack from us to create one goal and that made the game more difficult as they were more defensive.

"In the first five minutes of the second half we made one mistake which allowed them to score and that made everything even more complicated.

"After that we were playing against 10 or 11 players close to their box."

Forest interim manager 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.

"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.

"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."

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