Forest took a major step towards securing their own safety at the expense of a sad and sorry Swindon side heading almost inevitably into Division Two.

Swindon survived for half an hour but were then hit by a spree that brought Forest three goals in the space of 10 minutes.

To their credit, Swindon displayed a commitment and spirit after the break and might easily have had more to show for their efforts than a consolation penalty.

But the game was rarely settled in the period before half-time - when defensive mistakes contributed greatly to Swindon's downfall.

The deadlock was broken in the 32nd minute when Swindon keeper Frank Talia's positional sense left him, allowing Alan Rogers' cross to sail into the far corner of the net.

Four minutes later another blunder - this time by defender Alan Reeves - cost Swindon dearly. He allowed the ball to run free to Forest striker Jack Lester and amid the panic that followed in the Swindon defence skipper Scott Leith brought down Lester.

Chris Bart-Williams rapped home his sixth goal of the season from the penalty - but that was not the end of Swindon's first-half nightmare.

Three minutes before the break Forest's leading scorer Dougie Freedman set David Prutton clear on the right and raced into the middle to head home from the cross that followed.

The Forest goal rush had, ironically, come after Swindon had produced their best efforts of the opening half, with Dave Beasant tipping over a shot from Steve Cowe and then Chris Hay shooting wastefully over from a Cowe cross.

Swindon produced their best football of the game early in the second half and it brought reward with a 52nd-minute penalty converted by Hay and awarded after Andy Johnson had brought down Sol Davis.

And had Hay's finishing been better he might easily have dragged Swindon level.

He shot wide from another Cowe cross, then saw his close-range shot blocked by Beasant.

But Forest, registering their third win in four games, finished the stronger and Talia had to make saves from Nigel Quashie and substitute Marlon Harewood to deny Forest a fourth goal.

Teams:

Nottm Forest: Beasant, Louis-Jean, Scimeca, Vaughan, Rogers, Prutton, Bart-Williams, Johnson (Brennan 82), Quashie, Freedman, Lester (Harewood 73).

Subs Not Used: Crossley, Gray, Dawson.

Goals: Rogers 32, Bart-Williams 36 pen, Freedman 42.

Swindon: Talia, Robinson, Leitch (S. Howe 37), Davies, Reeves, Davis, Collins, A. Williams (Cuervo 73), Cowe, Gray, Hay.

Subs Not Used: Mildenhall, Willis, McAreavey.

Booked: Davis.

Goals: Hay 52 pen.

Att: 19,748

Ref: P Richards (Preston).