Report | Forest edged out at Newcastle

Nottingham Forest’s second half pressure just wasn’t enough for a share of the points at St James’ Park as Nuno’s side went down 4-3 against Newcastle United this afternoon.

Callum Hudson-Odoi opened the scoring for Forest on his first start in three matches, before Newcastle netted four times in 11 minutes, through Lewis Miley, Jacob Murphy and a brace from Alexander Isak to put the Magpies in control on Tyneside.

Nikola Milenković pulled one back with a clever finish on the hour mark and Forest continued to pressure the home goal with hopes of a dramatic finish in the north east.

Substitute Ryan Yates netted Forest’s third goal of the afternoon in the final minute of the 90 but the points ultimately belonged to Newcastle, with attentions now turning to Wednesday’s visit of Arsenal to The City Ground for Nuno’s team.

After some early pressure on the Forest goal, it was the Reds who opened the scoring at St James’ Park thanks to a stunning effort from the returning Hudson-Odoi.

With six minutes on the clock, the Reds won possession back from a Newcastle throw-in and the Forest winger drove at the home side’s defence before whipping the ball into the bottom left corner of the net.

On 23 minutes however, the home side levelled the scores when Miley’s low left footed effort from inside the box beat Matz Sels.

Newcastle completed the comeback on 25 minutes when Murphy got enough contact on Lewis Hall’s deflected cross to poke the ball into the Forest net.

Minutes later, Newcastle had their third of the afternoon after being awarded a penalty for a handball by Ola Aina. Isak stepped up to put the ball in the net from 12 yards.

Isak’s second of the game and Newcastle’s fourth came on 34 minutes when the Sweden international’s effort deflected over Sels and into the net.

Just before the half-time whistle sounded, Sels did well to deny Guimarães from close range, before Nuno’s side saw a handful of efforts to find a way back into the game blocked, bringing a difficult half for the Reds to a close.

Half-time: Newcastle 4-1 Forest

The Magpies were first to threaten a change to the scoreline early in the second period when Fabian Schar’s looping header from a Newcastle corner came back off Sels’ post with the Forest ‘keeper stranded.

Nuno’s charges searched for a route back into the match and almost found one when Anthony Elanga got on the end of Neco Williams’ clever header from a Morgan Gibbs-White cross to keep the danger alive, but the winger could only fire the ball over the bar.

Just after the hour mark, Forest’s pressure paid off when Milenković reduced the deficit.

After Elliot Anderson’s corner was partially cleared, Chris Wood kept the danger alive, put the ball back in the six-yard box where Forest’s Serbian centre back cleverly flicked the ball past Nick Pope in the Newcastle goal.

With the final 10 minutes approaching, Murillo went close to setting up a grandstand finish when he headed just wide from Elanga’s out swinging corner.

With 90 minutes on the clock, substitute Yates prodded the ball into the net from just yards out to further reduce the deficit, but with only three additional minutes added, Forest ran out of time at St James’ Park.

Nuno’s Reds welcome Arsenal to The City Ground on Wednesday evening looking to extend their unbeaten home run, which stretches back to November.

Full-time: Newcastle 4-3 Forest