Crystal Palace took time off from their cup conquests to storm to an
impressive victory over promotion hopefuls Nottingham Forest.
Finnish striker Mikael Forssell scored twice before former City Ground striker
Dougie Freedman came off the substitutes' bench to net a third goal - and rub
salt into Forest's gaping wounds.
It just wasn't the script that Forest had written on a day when they paraded
£3.5million striker David Johnson, who completed his move from Ipswich on
Friday.
With Francis Benali also making his debut, David Platt's side were hopeful of
consolidating themselves in the top six.
Instead they were left reflecting on a nightmare 90 minutes that gave Palace
three welcome points in their bid to move into a respectable First Division
place.
It was all very promising at the start for the home side with 17-year-old
Germaine Jenas hitting the bar after a little over a minute following a cross
from Andy Reid.
With Johnson busy, Forest maintained the early momentum but there were warning
signs when Clinton Morrison just failed to convert a cross from Andrejs Rubins.
The warnings were not heeded by Forest and in the 19th minute the visitors
went ahead when Forssell controlled a lay-off from Morrison, showed neat
footwork and delivered a left-foot shot past Dave Beasant.
Reid almost provided a surprise equaliser when an attempted volleyed cross hit
the post and went behind off goalkeeper Aleksandrs Kolinko.
But disaster struck for Forest in first-half injury-time when skipper Chris
Bart-Williams gave the ball away and Morrison sprinted clear to set up a simple
second goal for Forssell.
The hapless Stern John headed against the top of the Palace bar early in the
second half and although Forest continued to create - and waste - chances, the
game was put beyond them in the 67th minute.
Friedman, who had only joined the action four minutes earlier was on hand at
the far post to score a tap-in goal after the highly impressive Rubins had
chased a seemingly lost cause to provide one of an endless stream of crosses.
There was still time for John to spurn Forest's best chance when he failed to
convert a cross from fellow substitute David Freeman - but by that time the
contest was over.
Teams
Nottm Forest: Beasant, Edds, Bart-Williams, Vaughan, Benali,
Jenas (Freeman 68), Williams, Scimeca (John 32), Reid, Jones,
David Johnson.
Subs Not Used: Roche, Brennan, Calderwood.
Booked: Jones.
Crystal Palace: Kolinko, Smith, Austin, Ruddock, Mullins,
Harrison, Thomson (Pollock 54), Rodger, Rubins (Frampton 88),
Morrison (Freedman 63), Forssell.
Subs Not Used: Gregg, Black.
Booked: Smith.
Goals: Forssell 19, 45, Freedman 68.
Att: 21,198
Ref: G Frankland (Middlesbrough).
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