- Reds secure fourth successive victory
- Davis, Yates and Johnson secure three points at The City Ground
Head Coach Steve Cooper made one change from The Brian Clough Trophy victory over Derby on Saturday, with Philip Zinckernagel restored to the starting XI. The Reds started in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Jack Colback at left-back.
There was another large crowd at The City Ground on a crisp evening to welcome a Barnsley side who started the night bottom of the table, which was the position The Reds were in for the reverse fixture at the end of September.
Referee Michael Salisbury made an early booking when showing a yellow card to Romal Palmer for pulling back Brennan Johnson.
The Reds then forced a corner and, with the ball bouncing around the box, Scott McKenna had a goalbound volley blocked by Michał Helik.
An incisive move involving James Garner, Keinan Davis and Lewis Grabban left the frontman in the box but he was unable to get his shot away or release Zinckernagel who was in space.
Barnsley’s first effort of the evening came when Palmer shot just wide from the edge of the box. Barnsley captain Mads Andersen was then booked for another foul on Johnson as Forest broke with purpose again.
After The Reds forced another corner, Steve Cook glanced a header just wide from Jack Colback’s flag kick.
But after a quarter of an hour, Forest took the lead. Keinan Davis robbed Barnsley’s last man Mads Andersen and bore down on Brad Collins in the Barnsley goal before steering the ball calmly into the right-hand corner of the net for his first Forest goal.
Five minutes later, The Reds could have doubled their lead when Grabban’s right-wing cross fell to Garner on the edge of the box. The Manchester United loanee dropped his shoulder to evade two Barnsley defenders but then screwed his shot wide from 10 yards.
Midway through the first half, from another Reds corner, Johnson hooked the ball over the ball from inside the box.
Ryan Yates and Davis then combined before the front man released Johnson and The Reds forced another corner when the Welshman’s cross-shot was saved by Collins’ feet.
Barnsley responded with an attack of their own, as Callum Styles’ shot from Devante Cole’s cross was cleared from near the line by Scott McKenna.
Yates and Djed Spence then combined to win another Forest corner as The Reds continued to press and Yates then shot over from 25 yards.
The Reds continued to win a succession of corners and Yates’ header forced Collins into a fingertip save. However, seconds later, seven minutes before the break, Yates was on hand to convert Johnson’s cross from the left for his third of the season as The Reds went 2-0 up after another fine move.
It had been a dominant first half performance from Forest who fully deserved their two-goal advantage.
HALF-TIME: Nottingham Forest 2-0 Barnsley
At the start of the second half, Philip Zinckernagel beat a number of Barnsley players before losing his footing on the edge of the box with Brennan Johnson free on the overlap.
James Garner was then booked by referee Michael Salisbury for fouling Romal Palmer before Barnsley registered their first shot on target with Manchester City loanee Claudio Gomes’ speculative long-range effort. Callum Styles then fired a free-kick over the bar as The Tykes sought to find a way back in the game.
Lewis Grabban’s run down the left from halfway on the hour mark resulted in a low cross collected by Keinan Davis but the forward was then booked for simulation after falling under the challenge of Michał Helik. In the aftermath, Helik was also booked by referee Salisbury to become the third Barnsley player shown a yellow card.
Devante Cole then turned and rolled a shot wide from the edge of the box before, midway through the half, Steve Cooper made his first change of the evening as Max Lowe replaced Keinan Davis.
Grabban then released Johnson on the right but with just Jasper Moon to beat he fired over the bar.
A rampaging run from deep by Djed Spence then set up Grabban for another shooting opportunity but his effort from near the penalty spot was blocked.
Garner released Johnson for another run deep into Barnsley territory but he was crowded out and then Lowe’s cross found Grabban but the ball wouldn’t drop for the frontman to get his shot away from near the penalty spot.
With 15 minutes left, another thrilling run by Spence from deep, leaving a number of Barnsley players in his wake, resulted in an inch-perfect cut back for Johnson to score his seventh of the season and give The Reds a decisive 3-0 lead.
Xande Silva then replaced Grabban and then Ateef Konate made his league debut for The Reds when he replaced Brennan Johnson with 10 minutes left.
Samba saved from Claudio Gomes as Barnsley sought a consolation before Xande Silva struck the post after a fine exchange between Konate, Spence and the former West Ham man.
Garner nearly found Zinckernagel six yards out as The Reds continued to threaten before a bullet-header from Steve Cook was brilliantly tipped round the post by Brad Collins from Garner’s free kick.
Deep in added time, Xande Silva almost added a fourth after being picked by Garner but the forward couldn't quite divert his effort on target from close range.
The Reds' fourth successive win took them above Middlesbrough into seventh place, just one point off the play-offs ahead of Sunday's trip to Cardiff City.
FULL-TIME: Nottingham Forest 3-0 Barnsley
MATCH STATISTICS
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Brice Samba; Djed Spence, Steve Cook, Scott McKenna, Jack Colback; James Garner, Ryan Yates; Brennan Johnson (Ateef Konate 81'), Lewis Grabban (Xande Silva 78'), Philip Zinckernagel; Keinan Davis (Max Lowe 69')
Substitutes not used: Ethan Horvath, Tobias Figueiredo, Joao Carvalho, Cafu, Ateef Konate
Goals: Keinan Davis 15’, Ryan Yates 39’, Brennan Johnson 75'
Bookings: James Garner 51', Keinan Davis 61'
Barnsley (4-2-3-1): Brad Collins; Jasper Moon (Remy Vita 88'), Mads Andersen, Michal Helik, Jordan Williams; Romal Palmer (Matty Wolfe 81'), Claudio Gomes; Callum Styles, Victor Adeboyejo, Aaron Leya Iseka (David Bremang 81'); Devante Cole
Substitutes not used: Jack Walton, William Hondermarck, Jason Sraha, Cameron Thompson
Bookings: Romal Palmer 7’, Mads Andersen 11’, Michal Helik 61'
Referee: Michael Salisbury
Attendance: 27,504 including 642 Barnsley supporters
Possession: 55%-45%
Shots: 17-9
Shots on target: 6-2
Corners: 12-0