Forest’s B Team concluded their Premier League 2 season with three points against Leicester City Under-21s, thanks to first half goals from Joel Ndala and Jack Perkins.
Forest started the brighter of the two sides, as Jack Nadin intercepted a clearance from the Leicester ‘keeper and played in Ndala, who went on the outside and forced a good save from Harry French in the Foxes’ goal five minutes in.
The Reds found the breakthrough soon after; after some hard work from Jimmy Sinclair allowed Zyan Blake to collect the ball in the middle of the pitch, playing an inch-perfect through ball to Ndala who drove into the box and fired into the back of the net.
Some brilliant interplay from Forest then resulted in Kyle McAdam playing the ball in-behind towards goal, forcing a crucial clearance by a Leicester defender to prevent Ndala from capitalising and doubling the lead in the 25th minute.
The Reds’ frontline kept causing problems for the visitors as they combined once again, Sinclair crossing to Ndala’s feet, but his layoff to Blake on the edge of the area was forced away and cleared.
Perkins then doubled the Reds’ lead just before the break, as he found himself running between the Leicester centre-halves and baring in on goal, before calmly slotting past French and into the bottom corner of the net.
Half time: Forest 2-0 Leicester City
The second half started off quiet, and it was Leicester who saw the first opportunity of the remaining 45 in the 60 minutes, as Richards delivered a cross that was flicked towards goal, but a deflection off a Forest defender saw it go wide.
Jack Thompson and Ben Hammond then were called into action, putting their bodies on the line in a last-ditch challenge to block an effort from the six-yard box from finding the target and halving the deficit.
Keehan Willows then made a great save to keep the visitors from mounting a comeback, as he got a hand to prevent a cross from reaching an open man in the box following some good wing play from Leicester.
As the game ticked towards full time, substitute Archie Whitehall found himself bearing down on goal from the right-hand side, striking low and hard towards the far corner and forcing the best save of the game from French in the Leicester goal.
The final action of the half came as Richards met the ball just inside the box, and side footed past Willows’ far post, without posing any real danger, before the final whistle was blown and Forest secured the three points.
This win leaves our B Team 13th in PL2, with a place in the play-offs to be confirmed following next week’s fixtures, and a return to action comes on Tuesday, welcoming Athletic Bilbao to the City Ground in the PL International Cup semi-final.
Full time: Forest 2-0 Leicester City
Nottm Forest: Willows, Sinclair, Hanks, Thompson, Powell, Perkins (Whitehall 75'), Hammond, Nadin (Frank 51'), Ndala (Newton 51'), McAdam, Blake (Berry 60')
Subs: Griffiths, Whitehall, Newton, Berry, Frank
Leicester: French, Joseph, Gray (Wormleighton 74'), Amartey, Ali, Braybrooke, Cartwright, Amani Richards, Onanaye (Otchere 61'), Briggs (Hill 73'), Opoku (Pennant 60')
Subs: Wormleighton, Bausor, Hill, Otchere, Pennant