Ben Osborn's stunner lifts Nottingham Forest and piles misery on Bristol City
Ben Osborn's stunning strike helped end Nottingham Forest's run of eight games without a win with a 1-0 victory against Bristol City in Gary Brazil's first game back in charge.
Lee Johnson's struggling Robins have now lost eight Sky Bet Championship games on the bounce, but Osborn's dipping volley gave Forest something to celebrate amid a general mood of crisis at the City Ground.
There were protests prior to kick-off as hundreds of Forest fans gathered to call for Fawaz Al Hasawi to sell the club, following the recent collapse of a takeover bid by an American consortium.
But there were only cheers at the final whistle as Brazil notched up a victory to kick-start his second spell as caretaker manager, following the sacking of Philippe Montanier - although it was a result that will only pile more pressure on under-fire City boss Johnson.
It was telling that only one of the summer signings made under Montanier was included in the starting XI, in the form of keeper Stephen Henderson
Otherwise this was more akin to the Forest side seen under Dougie Freedman last season, when they were set up to be hard to beat.
Forest threatened as Matty Cash delivered a dangerous cross from the right that Fabian Giefer punched clear under real pressure from Britt Assombalonga and David Vaughan fired a shot high over the bar.
But it was Jamie Ward, who had seen his loan spell at Burton terminated on Thursday, who came closest in the opening 20 minutes, as he sent a low shot spinning wide of the post after turning smartly just outside the penalty area.
Eric Lichaj prompted another attack when he powered forward from right-back, swapping passes with Osborn before seeing a shot blocked from 10 yards out
A Cash free-kick was met by Assombalonga in a melee of players, but he could not keep his effort down.
When Ward drilled in a cross from the left, Cash had to stretch to get a shot in but, after it had taken a big deflection, it forced a fine save from Giefer, who got down brilliantly.
Bristol had mustered a single shot during the first half - which was perhaps the inspiration as they made a double change at the break, bringing on Josh Brownhill and Callum O'Dowda in place of Mark Little and Gary O'Neil.
Former Forest man Jamie Paterson might have done better with an early chance at the far post - but lifted his effort over the bar.
At the other end, Assombalonga was denied by a smart save from Giefer after cutting in from the left, while Matt Mills sent a towering header over the bar from a corner.
Paterson came rather closer when the ball fell to him at the far post for a second time, sending a crisp volley only inches wide.
An injury to Mills forced a change for Forest, with Nicklas Bendtner coming on and Mancienne dropping into defence from midfield - where he almost immediately made a vital block to deny Tammy Abraham, as the youngster got a crisp shot away.
Forest took the lead in the 67th minute in superb fashion, after Cash had been brought down on the edge of the box
Cash regained his feet to roll the free-kick to Osborn, who flicked it up and sent a dipping, curling volley over the defensive wall and beyond the keeper, who could only look on.
Forest had to hold out under a significant amount of pressure in the final stages, with Bristol even throwing keeper Giefer into attack as they won a flurry of corners - although Bendtner hit the side-netting when Forest broke quickly and almost caught out the Robins stopper in the wrong half.
Source : PA
Source: PA