Lew roars in to start the party for Forest
LEWIS GRABBAN helped to bring the good times back with Forest’s first league win at the City Ground for six months.
His 61st-minute winner got Forest’s biggest crowd of the season off their feet and gave unbeaten new boss Steve Cooper 10 points out of his opening four games.
It’s the first time Forest have won three games in succession in 21 months – the revival is on.
“It was important to win,” said Cooper. “There were nearly 28,000 people here. We could have scored four or five.
“The atmosphere was amazing. The fans got right behind the team and we were good value.”
Grabban grabbed his fifth goal in seven games, the last three on the trot, and has benefited most since Cooper’s arrival.
Because of the Covid crisis it was the first time Forest fans had actually seen their team win since February 2020.
Brennan Johnson put them in front midway through the first half, finishing off a fine move.
Blackpool were badly hit by injuries but fought well and were level when Jerry Yates took advantage of a defensive blunder.
As Forest pressed for a second goal, Joe Worrall’s shot from Max Lowe’s cross was saved by Daniel Grimshaw but the ball went loose and Grabban pounced.
Blackpool boss Neil Critchley said: “It’s a four-game undefeated run ended for us. But we’ve come back before this season and now we have to do it again.”
NOTTINGHAM FOREST: Samba 6; Worrall
8, Figueiredo 7, McKenna 7; Spence 6, Yates 6, Colback 6 (Garner (79th) 5), Lowe
8; Johnson 9 (Lolley 85th),Zinckernagel 7 (Mighten 79th); Grabban 7
BLACKPOOL: Grimshaw 7; Gabriel 6, Ekpiteta 6, Keogh 6, Garbutt 6; Bowler
6, Wintle 6, Stewart 6 (Dougall (70th) 5), John-Jules 6 (Mitchell (62nd) 5); Yates 7; Madine 6 (Carey 79th)
STAR MAN: Brennan Johnson
REFEREE: K Friend