Nottingham Forest leap-frogged Stockport in the final Division One placings with a narrow win at Edgeley Park.

But the home side will be kicking themselves for not collecting at least a point in an exciting game.

Aaron Wilbraham gave Stockport the perfect start after just four minutes. Ali Gibb intercepted a loose ball on the right side and his low cross fell perfectly for the young striker to side-foot past veteran keeper Dave Beasant from six yards.

Forest striker Jack Lester almost levelled three minutes later but County keeper Carlo Nash made a fine save close to his left to keep out the shot from eight yards.

Wilbraham should have doubled the home side's lead after quarter of an hour. Karim Fraidin raced away down the left and his inch-perfect cross was met by the incoming striker but he headed well over from just six yards out.

Wilbraham turned provider on 22 minutes when his flick across the area found strike partner Ian Lawson but chance arrived too quickly and he stabbed the ball over the bar.

Forest drew level just after the half hour with a piece of brilliance from midfielder Chris Bart-Williams.

Lester was felled by County skipper Mike Flynn on the edge of the area. Bart-Williams curled an exquisite free-kick across Nash into the back of the net off the far post.

And against the pattern of first half play Forest went into the lead when County on-loan defender Martin Taylor headed past his own keeper from a harmless-looking Alan Johnson cross.

Forest began the second half with as they finished the first and Alan Rogers should have extended the lead when he raced into the left side of the box but screwed his shot across the area and beyond the far post.

But Forest did score the decisive third after 55 minutes but had more slack defending to thank for it.

Edds picked up a short corner from the left and was allowed to run into the box before shooting home off Flynn.

County began to reassert themselves and with 20 minutes remaining reaped their reward when Flynn's throw-in was nodded on by Taylor and Wilbraham was first to the ball in a crowded area to volley home his second of the game.

Teams:

Stockport: Nash, Connelly, Nicholson (Bergersen 84), Flynn, Taylor, Cooper, Gibb, Dinning, Lawson, Wilbraham, Fradin.

Subs Not Used: Gray, Clare, Ross, Elliott.

Booked: Nicholson, Connelly, Dinning.

Goals: Wilbraham 4, 70.

Nottm Forest: Beasant, Scimeca, Terry, Hjelde, Edds, Prutton, Bart-Williams, Johnson, Rogers (Woan 78), Lester,Harewood (Cooper 75).

Subs Not Used: Crossley, Gray, Louis-Jean.

Goals: Bart-Williams 33, Taylor 37 og, Flynn 55 og.

Att: 7,756

Ref: M Pike (Barrow-in-Furness).