Nottingham Forest got their first win under new manager Mark Warburton with a huge win in the Championship as they beat third place Huddersfield Town 2-0 at The City Ground.
Eric Lichaj got the Reds deservedly in front in the first-half following superb work from Ben Brereton. Jamie Ward then gave the Reds breathing space after the break with a composed finish.
A scintillating first-half performance
Warburton was well aware of the threat Huddersfield could pose in this match before kick-off. This led to him tinkering with the formation as he opted with a back three of Matt Mills, Joe Worrall and Armand Traore with Eric Lichaj and Ben Osborn playing as wing-backs.
Coming into this game just two points above the drop zone, you could feel the tension on Trentside ahead of this vital clash. David Vaughan set the precedent by putting in several big challenges early on, getting the Forest fans right onside from the off.
Jamie Ward was given a rare start and he had a chance after rounding Danny Ward in the Huddersfield goal but could not convert from a tight angle. Ward turned provider just minutes later as he headed the ball back across goal only for Worrall to see his header cleared off the line.
Huddersfield appeared to be stunned by Forest's start to the game as the chances continued to come. Ward found himself in space down the left hand side and fizzed in a cross to Brereton who could not quite convert.
Zach Clough then had Forest's best chance of the game up to that point as he was picked out in the area by Lichaj but could only drag his shot wide of the target when he should have scored.
The home side finally got the lead they deserved in the 32nd minute. 17-year-old striker Brereton was causing the Terriers' defence all sorts of problems as he stormed into the area before his pinpoint cross found Lichaj for a tap-in to make it 1-0.
Brereton was causing havoc again minutes later as he went down appealing for a penalty following a tussle with Michael Hefele. However, the referee who was already unpopular with the home fans did not point to the spot.
The Reds continued to pile on the pressure. Ward had another effort saved by Ward before Worrall missed another superb chance as his header went wide.
Ward's best save of the game came on the stroke of half-time as he kept out his namesakes' header which looked destined for the back of the net.
This saw Forest go into half-time after arguably their best half of football in the entire season. However, despite the fact they could have been 5 or 6-0 up, they found themselves with only a slender 1-0 lead.
Terriers offer little in response
Huddersfield boss David Wagner recognised that his team was being totally outplayed and decided to make two changes at half-time. Dean Whitehead and Joe Lolley came on to replace Tareiq Holmes-Dennis and Van La Parra.
This did seem to make a difference for the away side as they came out looking to get back into the game following the break. However, they still struggled to create any clear chances.
Their good start to the second-half was undone in the 57th minute. Whitehead failed to deal with his header which allowed Ward to race through on goal and make it 2-0 with a composed finish.
Following this goal, Warburton decided to make two changes to freshen things up. Michael Mancienne and Aaron Tshibola came on in replace of Traore and Clough.
Lichaj could have scored his second goal of the game as he flourished in the right wing-back position. He raced into the penalty area beating several defenders but fired his shot straight at Ward.
A superb all-round performance
This performance really showed how much progress Warburton is making with his new side. His tactical awareness was there to all to see with the way he altered formation to deal with Huddersfield's threat.
Wagner made comments pre-match about how Forest had problems defensively but his side failed to score or even create many clear cut chances throughout. Chris Cohen and Vaughan did a superb job of protecting the defence and not allowing the likes of Aaron Mooy any space to dictate play.
This win gives Forest breathing space as they move five points clear of the relegation zone. They have Blackburn Rovers next up at The City Ground and a win would almost ensure their Championship survival.