- Rampant Reds move into play-off places with 4-1 victory at Bloomfield Road
- Zinckernagel, Johnson and Surridge goals make it eight wins in 12 league games for Forest
Head Coach Steve Cooper made two changes to the side which narrowly lost to Liverpool in the Emirates FA Cup quarter final, with Scott McKenna returning earlier than expected after injury.
McKenna replaced Joe Lolley as The Reds reverted to their 3-4-1-2 formation, with Brice Samba replacing Ethan Horvath in-between the sticks following the latter’s international duty with USA. Lewis Grabban also returned to the bench following a spell of over two months on the sidelines through injury.
The Reds began with a good tempo and had strong appeals for a penalty waved away inside four minutes when Philip Zinckernagel went down under Marvin Ekpiteta’s challenge inside the area. Blackpool broke through CJ Hamilton but his looping cross was headed away.
After a lively opening ten minutes, The Reds broke the deadlock. Ryan Yates threaded the ball through for Brennan Johnson inside the right channel and his pull back found Zinckernagel who saw a deflected effort loop over Dan Grimshaw and into the far corner for his sixth goal of the season.
Blackpool looked to respond as Josh Bowler took aim from the edge of the area and saw a shot blocked by Tobias Figueiredo. The loose ball then fell kindly for James Husband who fizzed an effort over the crossbar.
Johnson then charged down Grimshaw’s kick inside the area before finding Keinan Davis who was crowded out by the Blackpool defence before he could get a shot away.
Samba was called into action for the first time on 20 minutes when he got down low to gather Gary Madine’s header. The goalkeeper then picked out Davis with a long punt who drew a foul after being held by Hamilton.
From the resulting delivery, Garner’s free-kick was flicked on by Worrall and punched away by Grimshaw amid pressure from Scott McKenna.
In the 25th minute, Joe Worrall’s attemped header back to Samba was too short which allowed Jerry Yates to pounce but Figueiredo was across to cover well.
Worrall then found the run of Johnson down the right as the Wales international slipped Husband but couldn’t pull a shot away near the byline.
Just after the half hour though, The Reds doubled their lead with a fine goal. Yates and Zinckernagel combined down the right before the former pulled the ball back for Johnson who arrowed an effort across goal and into the bottom corner for his 13th goal of the campaign, wheeling away in front of an away end housing over 3,000 Reds supporters.
The hosts then came close twice in quick succession through Kenny Dougall but Samba was equal to the Australian midfielder’s long-range efforts.
In the 36th minute, The Reds made it 3-0 through Johnson once again. Grimshaw’s clearance was intercepted by the forward who drove into the area, nutmegged Jordan Thorniley and delicately chipped the Blackpool ‘keeper for his second goal of the afternoon.
Two minutes were added on at the end of the first half as Josh Bowler lashed an effort wide from 25 yards.
Referee Jarred Gillett blew for half-time shortly after with The Reds 3-0 up at the interval following a rampant first-half display.
HALF-TIME: Blackpool 0-3 Forest
Three minutes into the second half, Kevin Steward picked up the loose ball on the edge of the area before finding Jerry Yates, but McKenna was on-hand to produce a superb challenge to deny the forward from getting a shot away.
The hosts came close a couple of minutes later when Bowler dinked a cross towards the far post but Hamilton couldn’t divert his effort on target from close range.
Garner’s corner was delivered to the edge of the area where Johnson mis-timed a volley which Figueiredo inadvertently headed just wide of the far post.
Blackpool's bright start to the second half continued though as Bowler got to the byline and pulled the ball back for Dougall who saw an effort blocked and put behind for a corner by Yates.
Kevin Stewart was then the first man booked for deliberately handling the ball as Johnson looked to ignite a counter attack.
On the hour, Bowler drove forward and cut inside McKenna and Colback before firing straight at Samba. Blackpool then made their first change of the afternoon as Stewart made way for Callum Connolly.
Forest then had a golden opportunity to add a fourth after the hour as Davis slipped in Zinckernagel whose low effort fell agonisingly wide of the post via Grimshaw's legs.
Hamilton made way for Keshi Anderson in The Tangerines' second change on 63 minutes.
Johnson played in Spence on the overlap and the wing-back delivered a cross which Davis headed goalwards but straight at Grimshaw.
The Reds made a double change in the 65th minute as Sam Surridge and Lewis Grabban replaced Davis and Johnson. Grabban received a warm reception from the travelling fans as he made his first appearance since the end of January.
With 17 minutes remaining, Zinckernagel made way for Joe Lolley in The Reds' final change of the afternoon. Jerry Yates then made way for Shayne Lavery in Blackpool's final change.
Scott McKenna battled well to keep an attack alive after being played down the left channel by Lolley before winning a free-kick after being fouled by Dujon Sterling. From Garner's resulting delivery, the ball was headed away only as far as Colback who fired wide.
In the 82nd minute, Surridge got in on the act and added a fourth goal for The Reds. McKenna found the striker with a perfectly-weighted through ball before firing across goal and emphatically finding the bottom corner for his third goal of the season.
Lolley was shown The Reds' first yellow card with two minutes remaining for a late challenge on Husband inside the Forest half.
From the resulting free-kick, Blackpool found a consolation through Callum Connolly who poked home when the loose ball fell to him.
The full-time whistle blew after four additional minutes, rounding off an excellent return to action for The Reds who picked up their eighth win in 12 league matches and extended their unbeaten run to eight games in the Championship.
FULL-TIME: Blackpool 1-4 Forest
MATCH STATISTICS
Blackpool (4-4-2): Daniel Grimshaw; Dijon Sterling, Marvin Ekpiteta (c), Jordan Thorniley, James Husband; Josh Bowler, Kevin Stewart (Callum Connolly 60’), Kenny Dougall, CJ Hamilton (Keshi Anderson 63’); Gary Madine, Jerry Yates (Shayne Lavery 75’)
Goal: Connolly (89')
Substitutes not used: Chris Maxwell (gk), Reece James, Richard Keogh, Jake Beesley
Bookings: Stewart (55’)
Nottingham Forest (3-4-1-2): Brice Samba; Joe Worrall (c), Tobias Figueiredo, Scott McKenna; Djed Spence, Ryan Yates, James Garner, Jack Colback; Philip Zinckernagel (Joe Lolley 74’); Brennan Johnson (Lewis Grabban 66’); Keinan Davis (Sam Surridge 66’)
Substitutes not used: Ethan Horvath (gk); Loic Mbe Soh, Alex Mighten, Cafu
Goals: Zinckernagel (11’), Johnson (31’ & 37’), Surridge (82’)
Booking: Lolley (88')
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Attendance: 13,986 including TBC Forest supporters
Possession: 50-50
Shots: 17-14
On target: 4-7
Corners: 8-4