Brighton & Hove Albion 2 - 3 Nottingham Forest - Freedman enjoys winning start

Posted Sunday, February 08, 2015 by PA

Nottingham Forest battled back from going a goal behind to give new manager Dougie Freedman a winning start with a 3-2 victory over relegation-threatened Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

Second-half goals from Henri Lansbury and Ben Osborn gave Forest a much-needed boost after defender Danny Collins had earlier cancelled out a 42nd-minute opener from Brighton's top-scorer Lewis Dunk.

Debutant midfielder Beram Kayal pulled one back for the hosts at the death but Forest held on for all three points.

Brighton, now with only one win from their previous seven home league games, quickly got on top, and midfielder Joao Teixeira volleyed over following a corner by Danny Holla in the third minute.

Seagulls keeper David Stockdale saved smartly low down from a shot by Chris Burke after good work from Michail Antonio.

Brighton should have broken the deadlock in the 10th minute when skipper Gordon Greer headed wide at the far post following a corner by Holla.

Forest were fortunate to escape again six minutes later. Centre-back Dunk rose unchallenged at the far post to meet a Holla free-kick, but his header was saved by keeper Karl Darlow.

Seagulls boss Chris Hughton was forced into making a change when the fit-again Kazenga LuaLua came on after Solly March sustained a leg injury.

Brighton continued to dominate and Forest were relieved to see a fierce shot from Inigo Calderon fly narrowly over following good work by Rohan Ince.

Albion threatened again on 39 minutes when a free-kick by Holla cannoned back off the cross-bar, but the Seagulls' pressure paid off three minutes later.

A teasing free-kick by Holla was headed goalwards by Dunk and the ball appeared to go in to the net via a deflection off former Albion loanee Gary Gardner.

Forest, outplayed for most of the half, pulled level a minute before the interval as Brighton were punished for giving away a poor free-kick.

Stockdale came out in an attempt to claim a decent delivery from Osborn but made a hash of it, and defender Collins nipped in to score with a header that went in off the post.

Forest keeper Darlow kept his side on terms by smothering a goal-bound shot from Teixeira shortly after the interval.

Teixeira, on a season-long loan from Liverpool, got through but was off target with a deflected shot following good play from LuaLua.

Forest took the lead in the 63rd minute through midfielder Lansbury's sixth goal of the season.

Osborn tapped a free-kick on the edge of the box to Lansbury who drilled a low right-footed shot through a crowd of players.

Lansbury put a header over for Forest before Holla threatened for the Seagulls at the other end and keeper Darlow punched his dangerous cross clear.

Forest, with only one previous Championship win since the end of November, were having to defend grimly as Brighton stepped up the pressure before a crowd of 26, 267.

Darlow dived full length to save a low shot from the edge of the area by Seagulls striker Chris O'Grady.

Forest made it 3-1 three minutes from time when, after Brighton had switched off following a throw-in. Burke squared the ball across the six-yard box for Osborn to score with a simple tap-in.

Debutant midfielder Kayal, signed from Celtic for B#325,000, reduced the deficit by superbly heading in a corner from LuaLua in the last minute.

In a frantic finale, Kayal came close to equalising for Brighton in stoppage time when his close-range effort was deflected onto the crossbar by substitute Jamaal Lascelles.