Nottingham Forest 3-1 Huddersfield Town: Grabban’s double and late Yates strike seals three points

The sight of Lewis Grabban restored to his clinical best in front of goal should be enough to chase away any concerns beside the River Trent.

Grabban scored twice for Nottingham Forest as they won for only the second time in eight outings and consolidated their position in the Championship play-off places.

Substitute Ryan Yates headed the third for Forest from a late corner and defeat forces Huddersfield deeper into trouble and closer towards a second successive relegation.  

Nottingham Forest striker Lewis Grabban volleys in the opening goal of the game 

Grabban notched his second just after half-time after being played through on goal

The visitors pulled one back through Karlan Grant from a very generously awarded penalty in the sixth minute of stoppage time but it was never going to change the outcome.

Juninho Bacuna did not help the cause by collecting a red card for a rash challenge when the game was already lost.

Bacuna will be banned as Danny Cowley’s team attempt to avoid crashing straight through into League One.

It has been 21 long years since Forest were last in the Premier League but their promotion dreams remain alive under Sabri Lamouchi, the first manager for nine years to take them through an entire campaign.

Lamouchi signed a new contract earlier this month and celebrated a year in charge at the City Ground with a victory which moved his team up to fourth place, above Fulham on goal difference, with seven games to play.

Forest might have seized a grip on the game in the opening moments. Joe Lolley, bright and dangerous throughout, danced down the right and pulled a low cross into the path of Sammy Ameobi who was arriving late from the other flank.

Ameobi, also influential, applied a crisp contact but his side-footer struck the inside of a post, flashed across goal and out to safety.

Huddersfield settled and enjoyed pressure and chances of their own.

A curling free-kick from Alex Pritchard forced a save from Brice Samba and the visitors were aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty when Pritchard appeared to be tripped by Ben Watson.

Referee David Webb was unmoved, however, and Cowley threw up his hands in disbelief on the touchline.

Ryan Yates celebrates scoring Forest’s third goal of the afternoon in the closing stages

Forest went ahead two minutes before half-time. Lolley’s corner was cleared, retrieved and fired back into the centre by Joe Worrall. 

Grabban drifted away from his markers and into space at the far post where he met Worrall’s cross with a powerful volley which Jonas Lossl was unable to keep out. 

It was the 32-year-old striker’s 18th of the Championship season and number 19 came less than a minute after the restart.

Huddersfield’s Juninho Bacuna (right) was sent-off after a rash challenge late on in the game 

Grabban nursed a pass to Ameobi, turned and spun for the return pass which sent him running clean through on goal. His finish was confident and unerring, tucked into the corner.

Huddersfield almost replied instantly when glancing header by Andy King bounced against the bar from Pritchard’s swerving corner but there was no way back.

Forest ‘keeper Samba foiled Grant and Bacuna, and Grant dragged a hat-trick chance wide before Yates stretched the lead from Lolley’s corner and Grant claimed consolation for Huddersfield with his 17th goal of the season.