- Forest stretch unbeaten run to eight games with emphatic away win
- Zinckernagel, Grabban, Johnson and Cafú strikes seal three points
Head coach Steve Cooper made one change to the side that extended The Reds’ unbeaten run to seven matches last week with the victory over Peterborough. Jordi Osei-Tutu replaced Braian Ojeda for his first appearance since picking up an injury against Blackburn Rovers in August. Ojeda dropped to the bench with Tobias Figueiredo the man to drop out of the squad.
Cooper received a warm welcome from the Swansea fans after his back-to-back play off finishes for the club in the previous two seasons as The Reds started the match in a 3-4-3 formation with Ryan Yates deployed as the central defender.
The first threat came from Swansea when a low cross from Olivier Ntcham found Ryan Manning at the far post but Jack Colback was able to clear. Moments later, Brennan Johnson fizzed a similar ball across the Swans goal from the right but Grabban was unable to reach the ball at the far post.
Grabban was then fouled by Flynn Downes as he looked to escape down the left and the former Ipswich man was the first name in referee Matthew Donohue’s notebook.
Swans ‘keeper Ben Hamer, who was briefly on Forest’s books in 2015, collected James Garner’s inswinging free kick and Johnson was spoken to by referee Donohue for trying to block Hamer’s resulting kick as Swansea looked to break.
Jack Colback released Grabban again down the right but on this occasion Downes was able to shepherd The Reds’ top scorer out of play when he threatened to break through.
Just before the 20 minute mark, Johnson dispossessed Ben Cabango on halfway and accelerated into the Swansea box but Grabban was just unable to convert his low cross at the far post.
Seconds later, Osei-Tutu was booked for fouling Manchester United loanee Ethan Laird as the match, after a patient opening, started to move from end to end.
Samba claimed Matt Grimes’ resulting inswinging free kick and quickly released Johnson on the right, he then fed Djed Spence who ran beyond the Swans defence and deep into the penalty area. The Middlesbrough loanee squared for Philip Zinckernagel on the edge of the box and his shot was deflected just wide for a corner courtesy of a last ditch challenge by Ryan Bennett.
After half an hour Korey Smith became the second Swansea player booked when he cynically held back Johnson on halfway after the Welshman had neatly flicked the ball ahead of himself and threatened to break away in the Swans half.
Joe Worrall then cleared Manning’s cross to force a Swansea corner, but as Forest broke, Johnson was again breaking with speed when Ryan Bennett slid into halt his progress. Forest claimed a foul but referee Donohue waved play on, much to the frustration of the Forest bench. Moments later, Spence fizzed another ball across goal from the right but Swansea cleared.
Worrall was then penalised for a clash with Manning and, from Grimes’ free kick, Ntcham side footed over the bar unmarked at the far post and, moments later, the former Celtic man fired over the bar from the edge of the box.
Then a long ball by Downes was inadvertently headed across the face of the Forest box by Osei-Tutu leaving Samba wrong-footed, but Joël Piroe was unable to guide the loose ball into the unguarded net from the edge of the box.
Russell Martin was then forced into a change late in the half, as Joel Latibeaudiere replaced the injured Ethan Laird before the interval.
HALF-TIME: Swansea City 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Forest, in their blue change kit, kicked off the second half towards the fans who had made the long journey in the rain, and they were rewarded just a couple of minutes into the half.
After a short spell of pressure, Philip Zinckernagel and Lewis Grabban exchanged passes on the edge of the box and the Dane lashed home a fierce shot from 16 yards into the roof of Ben Hamer’s net.
Seconds later, The Reds doubled their lead with a fine move down the right hand side. Djed Spence’s slide rule pass released Brennan Johnson whose cross was converted from close-range by Grabban for his ninth goal of the season.
There was then controversy when Johnson went down after a confrontation with Flynn Downes. Spence and Ben Cabango were booked for their part in the resulting melee and referee Matthew Donohue surprisingly only gave Downes - who was on a yellow card - a stern talking to with Johnson.
Just before the hour mark, Johnson forced a corner and from James Garner’s flag kick, Scott McKenna nearly diverted Grabban’s flick home from close-range.
Just after the hour, Swansea halved the deficit with their first effort of the second half. The ball broke to top scorer Joël Piroe’s whose volley from the edge of the box beat Brice Samba via a heavy deflection from Ryan Yates.
Scott McKenna was then booked for a high foot on Joel Latibeaudiere before Steve Cooper introduced Cafú for Zinckernagel midway through the second half.
The Reds then restored their two goal advantage in the 68th minute when Brennan Johnson was on hand to convert from close range when Hamer fumbled Jordi Osei-Tutu’s tame shot after another Forest break.
Piroe then immediately shot just wide of Samba’s left hand post as the Swans looked to respond again but The Reds were defending stoutly with their 3-1 advantage.
With five minutes to go, Latibeaudiere swept the ball over from six yards from Jamie Paterson’s cross as the rain continued to swirl around the stadium.
Steve Cooper then made two substitutions with Lyle Taylor replacing Lewis Grabban and Gaëtan Bong replacing Jordi Osei-Tutu.
Midway through the six minutes of injury time, Samba was forced into a magnificent double save but The Reds made it four moments later when Cafú smashed home after a run and cut back from substitute Taylor on the right, to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches and their unbeaten away run to nine.
FULL-TIME: Swansea City 1-4 Nottingham Forest
MATCH STATISTICS
Swansea (3-4-2-1): Ben Hamer; Ryan Bennett, Flynn Downes, Ben Cabango; Ethan Laird (Joel Latibeaudiere 45'), Korey Smith (Michael Obafemi 56'), Matt Grimes (c), Ryan Manning; Olivier Ntcham, Jamie Paterson; Joël Piroe
Substitutes not used: Steven Benda, Rhys Williams, Jake Bidwell, Joel Latibeaudiere, Liam Walsh, Liam Cullen
Goal: Joël Piroe 62'
Bookings: Flynn Downes 11', Korey Smith 31', Ben Cabango 55'
Forest (3-4-3): Brice Samba; Joe Worrall, Ryan Yates, Scott McKenna; Djed Spence, James Garner, Jack Colback, Jordi Osei-Tutu (Gaëtan Bong 89'); Philip Zinckernagel (Cafú 67'), Lewis Grabban (c) (Lyle Taylor 86'), Brennan Johnson
Substitutes not used: Ethan Horvath, Braian Ojeda, João Carvalho, Alex Mighten
Goals: Philip Zinckernagel 47', Lewis Grabban 50', Brennan Johnson 68'
Bookings: Jordi Osei-Tutu 20', Djed Spence 55', Scott McKenna 66', Cafú 90'
Referee: Matthew Donohue
Attendance: 17,659 including 1,245 Forest supporters
Possession: 75%-25%
Shots: 12-9
Shots on target: 4-5
Corners: 2-2