- Forest stretch unbeaten run to seven matches
- Second-half goals from Garner and Yates secure home win
Steve Cooper made two changes to the side that claimed a hard-earned point at West Bromwich Albion last time out, with Jack Colback and Braian Ojeda replacing Tobias Figueiredo and Gaetan Bong who dropped to the bench.
Forest reverted to the 4-2-3-1 formation with which they started the match at The Hawthorns, with Colback at left-back and James Garner in an advanced role off Lewis Grabban.
Darren Ferguson’s Posh visited The City Ground with former Reds academy graduate Jorge Grant in their starting line-up.
Despite the cold and rain, the biggest crowd of the season of over 28,000 were packed into The City Ground and, within the first minute, Ryan Yates fed Philip Zinckernagel who smashed a dipping 30-yard effort which was spectacularly saved by David Cornell in the Peterborough goal.
The Reds forced a couple of early corners and, in the sixth minute, the crowd rose to clap in honour of six-year old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes who so tragically lost his life.
Peterborough’s first effort of the afternoon came when Siriki Dembélé cut inside Djed Spence in the box but his low shot was saved by Brice Samba.
On the quarter hour mark, Harrison Burrows played in Grant but his ambitious chip was comfortably saved by Samba.
James Garner then nearly benefited from hesitation in the Posh defence but 'keeper Cornell smothered at his feet at the edge of the box and, soon afterwards, Grabban nearly dispossessed the keeper before he cleared, however Posh had managed to get through the first half hour unscathed. Samba then needed to be alert to punch clear after Grant crossed for Jack Taylor.
The Reds were struggling to find any fluency but neat play from Grabban nearly created an opening before Ronnie Edwards covered to clear and, ten minutes before half-time, The Reds' captain had sight of goal but drove into the side-netting.
Five minutes before the break, Joe Worrall was adjudged to have handled and from the free kick on the edge of the ‘D’, and Jonson Clarke-Harris’ free kick was deflected for a corner. The crowd were further incensed when referee Thomas Bramall failed to give a free kick in favour of Ryan Yates when The Reds cleared the corner and Samba was then forced to parry a cross from Burrows as Peterborough continued to frustrate Forest.
HALF-TIME: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Peterborough United
The Reds were kicking towards the Trent End in the second half and, from Brennan Johnson’s cross, Braian Ojeda volleyed just wide at the far post.
Lewis Grabban was appealing for a penalty when Philip Zinckernagel’s through ball hit Josh Knight on the hand and The Reds' frontman then drive a low shot just wide of David Cornell’s goal.
However it was the visitors who came close to opening the scoring when Siriki Dembélé hit the outside of Brice Samba’s post after a flick on by Jonson Clarke-Harris. The Reds responded when Zinckernagel drove just wide.
Referee Bramall then rejected another penalty claim by Grabban when his cross was blocked by the arm of Dan Butler with The Reds captain again convinced of its merits.
Clarke-Harris was then booked by the referee for a lunge on Zinckernagel and Butler followed for a late challenge on Johnson. From the free-kick, The Reds had a third penalty appeal turned down as the ball bounced around in the box.
Midway through the half, Grabban forced a corner after collecting a clever ball from Joe Worrall in the box and, when the ball was cleared to Ojeda, the young Paraguayan struck a sweet half-volley just over the bar after controlling on his chest.
Johnson then nearly squared for Grabban as The Reds started build pressure, Ojeda had another strike blocked, and then Jack Colback fired wide.
The pressure finally told in the 72nd minute when James Garner neatly started an attack midway in the Reds half by feeding Ojeda who carried the ball deep into Peterborough territory. He found Johnson on the right and his low cross was missed by Grabban at the far post, but Garner himself was on hand to poke home the rebound from close range for his first goal of the season.
Clarke-Harris then headed over Jorge Grant’s free kick as Posh looked to respond to The Reds opener, before Nathan Thompson became the third visitor into referee Bramall’s notebook for fouling Colback.
Steve Cooper then made his first change of the afternoon as Cafú replaced Braian Ojeda, who received a warm round of applause from the large crowd as he left the field.
Brice Samba was then booked for time wasting but Cafú soon won a corner and, from Garner’s corner, Ryan Yates diverted the ball into the far corner to put Forest 2-0 up.
Lyle Taylor replaced Lewis Grabban and the frontman was fouled by Ronnie Edwards who was booked, before the full-time whistle blew to mark the end of a successful afternoon for Forest.
The Reds are now unbeaten in seven and have only lost one of their last 14 games after recording their third home win of the campaign.
FULL-TIME: Nottingham Forest 2-0 Peterborough United
MATCH STATISTICS
Forest (4-2-3-1): Brice Samba; Djed Spence, Joe Worrall, Scott McKenna, Jack Colback; Braian Ojeda (Cafú 80'), Ryan Yates; Brennan Johnson, James Garner, Philip Zinckernagel; Lewis Grabban (c) (Lyle Taylor 85')
Substitutes not used: Ethan Horvath, Tobias Figueiredo, João Carvalho, Gaëtan Bong, Alex Mighten
Goals: James Garner (72'), Ryan Yates (84')
Bookings: Brice Samba (82')
Peterborough United (4-1-3-2): David Cornell; Nathan Thompson (c), Ronnie Edwards, Josh Knight, Dan Butler; Oliver Norburn (Sammie Szmodics 78'); Jorge Grant, Jack Taylor, Harrison Burrows (Conor Coventry 68'); Jonson Clarke-Harris, Siriki Dembélé
Substitutes not used: William Blackmore, Mark Beevers, Frankie Kent, Joe Tomlinson, Kai Corbett
Bookings: Jonson Clarke-Harris (59'), Dan Butler (64'), Nathan Thompson (79'), Ronnie Edwards (86')
Referee: Thomas Bramall
Attendance: 28,308 including 1,987 Peterborough United supporters
Possession: 55%-45%
Shots: 15-10
Shots on target: 3-2
Corners: 5-3