- Cardiff beat Forest 2-1 to take Bluebirds six factors clear from relegation zone
- Jordan Hugill scored after six minutes on his debut on the Cardiff Metropolis Stadium
- Striker's mortgage signing was introduced simply hours earlier than the night kick-off
- 20-year-old Isaak Davies doubled Cardiff's lead and secured all three factors
- Keinan Davis scored a late comfort purpose for Steve Cooper's aspect
Nottingham Forest's ascent of the Championship desk beneath Steve Cooper has been one of many nice transformations of this season.
They had been all-time low of the second tier with one level from seven video games when Chris Hughton was sacked in mid September.
This failure by a wise, widely-respected and skilled coach akin to Hughton appeared to counsel the previous European champions had turn into a misplaced trigger beneath the speedy hire-and-fire regime of Evangalos Marinakis.
Cooper revived them, nevertheless, and hauled them up the desk. Victory at struggling Cardiff would have lifted them into the play-off zone however nothing is ever fairly so simple.
Not within the Championship. Not at Forest. One other alternative misplaced to the delight of the house followers, again inside their stadium for the primary time for practically two months, following postponements and two video games behind closed doorways in accordance with Welsh Covid restrictions.
They returned to see their staff safe a much-needed and well-deserved victory, three very important factors within the combat to keep away from sliding into the third tier for the primary time since 2003.
And so they led from the sixth minute, when Perry Ng stepped out of the defence to intercept a move from Scott McKenna and launched Jordan Hugill, who sped clear and rolled a cool end previous goalkeeper Brice Samba and contained in the far submit.
It was a surprising introduction for the striker signed on mortgage from Norwich simply earlier than Saturday's deadline though there was no official announcement till yesterday afternoon.
Hugill spent the primary half of the season at West Bromwich Albion, the place he scored as soon as in 20 appearances and returned to Carrow Highway after the Baggies signed two centre forwards, Andy Carroll and Daryl Dike, earlier this month.
His arrival took Cardiff's January spree to 4 signings. Alfie Doughty, on mortgage from Stoke, was additionally making his debut for Steve Morison's staff, and so they had been value their lead at half time.
Joe Ralls fired over 25 yards and Samba made a splendid low save to forestall Hugill scoring a second.
Forest did not register a shot heading in the right direction within the first half. One run and low cross by Brennan Johnson unfold panic within the Cardiff penalty space however they scrambled the hazard clear.
The guests nearly conceded a comical personal purpose at the beginning of the second half when McKenna's move spun past his goalkeeper Samba. For a fraction of a second, it appeared destined for the web however bounced narrowly vast.
Belatedly, Forest stirred. Johnson was near changing a low cross from James Garner however Cardiff remained harmful and scored the second by means of substitute Isaak Davies.
Samba dived full size to the touch a curling shot from Ralls in opposition to a submit and 20-year-old Davies pounced on the rebound to complete into an empty purpose, his first within the Championship.
Cardiff followers celebrated by taunting Cooper, born only a dozen miles away in Pontypridd however a sworn enemy by advantage of his success in command of Swansea, twice main them into the play-offs.
He could but obtain the identical diploma of success at Forest however this was a day for him to neglect.
Substitute Xande Silva wasted a wonderful probability to scale back the deficit within the eighty fifth minute and captain Lewis Grabban was injured, limping off within the closing minutes.
With no subs remaining, Forest ended the sport with 10 males. Keinan Davies discovered the web with a towering header type a nook within the fourth minute of stoppage time however the sport was up.