Match Report
Nottingham Forest
(1) 3-0 (0)
Fulham
Championship Match Day 19 1516 at City Ground
Saturday 5th December 2015 KO: 15:00
Referee: Carl Boyeson (East Yorkshire)
|
Defender Matt Mills scored a brace as Nottingham Forest maintained their recent revival under Dougie Freedman with a comfortable 3-0 win over managerless Fulham.
The Reds boss had been under pressure in recent weeks, but has seen the question marks over his future erased by three consecutive victories at the City Ground.
Peter Grant, Fulham's caretaker boss, briefly looked as though he might claim his first victory following back-to-back draws, as Dorus de Vries made a handful of important saves early on.
But it was Forest who ultimately claimed an emphatic win - their third in four games overall - after Mills netted with two headers, the first just before half time and then again 12 minutes from the end, with Chris O'Grady netting his second in two games in between.
Ross McCormack, who scored five times in two games against Forest last season, almost added to his tally in the fifth minute. He ghosted free at the far post to flick a header towards goal, but was denied by a smart save from De Vries.
Fulham pushed again as Ben Pringle whipped in a cross from the left to pick out the towering figure of Matt Smith, but the striker's header was too close to De Vries. Forest suffered another nervous moment when a James Husband cross from the left was headed into the side netting by Mills.
| Match Stats |
N. Forest
|
Fulham
|
| Goals |
(1) 3 |
0 (0) |
| |
| Scorers |
Mills 45 |
|
| |
O'Grady 52 |
|
| |
Mills 78 |
|
| |
| Goal attempts |
11 |
11 |
| On target |
5 |
4 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
45% |
36% |
| Possession |
43% |
57% |
| Passes |
353 |
467 |
| Pass Success |
72% |
79% |
| Crosses |
18 |
30 |
| Crosses Success |
22% |
23% |
| Corners |
6 |
7 |
| Tackles |
18 |
19 |
| Tackles Success |
83% |
95% |
| Saves |
4 |
2 |
| Fouls |
11 |
10 |
| Offsides |
0 |
0 |
| Yellows |
0 |
0 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: Soccernet/Fulham FC |
When Ben Osborn found space down the left again, he flashed a dangerous low ball across the face of goal, but Richard Stearman made a vital interception before Ryan Mendes could pounce. Another Husband cross almost led to an own goal, this time as Eric Lichaj deflected the ball onto the top of the net.
Both teams were carving out half chances, with O'Grady's low shot well held by Joe Lewis and De Vries having to produce a moment of quality to keep out an effort from McCormack after it had taken a huge deflection.
A goal finally came in the 45th minute, when Oliveira's clever overhead kick delivered the ball back into the box from wide on the left, giving Mills the chance to rise at the far post and power home a header.
Forest went close to a second immediately after the interval when O'Grady was inches away from connecting with a driven cross from Henri Lansbury. Lichaj also drew an outstanding save from Lewis after connecting with a powerful volley eight yards out.
The home side's pressure was to tell in the 52nd minute, however, after a powerful low shot from Oliveira carved an opening. Lewis could not hold on to the ball and O'Grady was the quickest to react, racing a few yards to drive the ball high into the net.
Fulham were denied again by the outstanding De Vries as he pushed over a long range effort from Tom Cairney that looked bound for the top corner.
But it was to be Mills who killed the game off, producing another towering header in the 78th minute, this time from a David Vaughan corner. The big defender was denied a hat-trick when he hit the bar with another header in injury time.
Nottm Forest: De Vries, Lichaj, Mills, Mancienne, Pinillos,
Mendes (Grant 79), Vaughan, Lansbury, Osborn (Tesche 87),
Oliveira (Trotter 79), O'Grady.
Subs Not Used: Wilson, Williams, Blackstock, Evtimov.
Goals:
Mills 45, (header from very close range to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Eric Lichaj following a corner.)
O'Grady 52, (right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal.)
Mills 78. (header from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by David Vaughan with a cross following a corner.)
Fulham: Lewis, Fredericks, Stearman, Ream, Husband, Cairney, O'Hara,
Parker (Hyndman 71), Pringle (Kacaniklic 68), Smith (Woodrow 67),
McCormack.
Subs Not Used: Garbutt, Hutchinson, Voser, Rodak.
Referee: Carl Boyeson (E Yorkshire).
Attendance: 18,377