Goals:
1-0: McKay (16, controlled Dowell’s through pass before slotting a lovely finish beyond Randolph)
2-0: Murphy pen (79, picked out Randolph’s bottom left with a low drive after Gibson’s foul)
2-1: Gibson (83, powered in a loose ball that took a deflection and flew high into the net)
Bookings: Traore (18, foul); Clayton (39, foul); Fry (63, foul); Assombalonga (76, foul); Gibson (89, foul)
Sending-off: None
Referee: Graham Scott (Abingdon) – not really any complaints about either the penalty decision or the Assombalonga header which was ruled out. 7
Attendance: 26, 265
Entertainment: ****
Forest Boro
Shots on 3 7
Shots off 8 10
Corners 5 5
Offsides 2 2
Fouls 5 22
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (4-2-3-1): Smith 7; Darikwa 6, Mills 6, Worrall 6, Traore 7 (Lichaj 77); Vaughan 5 (Brereton 37, 7), Bouchalakis 7; McKay 7 (Mancienne 65, 5), Osborn 5, DOWELL 7; Murphy 6. Subs (not used): Evtimov, Clough, Carayol, Cummings.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-1-2-3):
6 Randolph: Involved very little except for one routine stop early on;
6 Christie: Unable to get forward like he had in the first few games
7 Fry: Did what he had to do at the heart of the defence alongside Gibson
6 Gibson: Redeemed himself by scoring after conceding a penalty
6 Friend: Similar display to Christie because both took time to get going down the flanks;
5 Clayton: Asked to change roles and was replaced
6 Howson: After a slow start he created a couple of decent openings and had an effort himself
5 Forshaw: Unable to find his usual composure on the ball;
6 Bamford: Lively when he was on the pitch without seriously testing the keeper enough
4 Assombalonga: Not the day he wanted back at the City Ground
7 GESTEDE: Looks revitalised and almost created an equaliser
Subs:
Traore (for Forshaw 46): Still lacking an end product but gave Boro an extra edge. 6
Baker (for Bamford 63): Pushed the ball around in the middle without posing much danger. 5
Fletcher (for Clayton 78)
(not used): Konstantopoulos (gk), Roberts, Fabio, Leadbitter.
MAN OF THE MATCH: RUDY Gestede – caused the Forest defenders problems with his presence, but didn’t find the net to go with it.
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