Match ends, Nottingham Forest 0, Sheffield Wednesday 3.
Nottingham Forest 0-3 Sheffield Wednesday
- From the section Championship
Lee Bullen earned victory in his first game as interim manager as Sheffield Wednesday ended a seven-game winless run by beating Nottingham Forest.
Adam Reach's superb long-range shot and a Jordan Rhodes penalty put the Owls in control of an open match at the break.
Forest had missed four decent chances to level, notably through Barrie McKay.
But they were second best after Rhodes' spot-kick and Reach teed up Lucas Joao to seal an emphatic win and consign Forest to a fourth loss in six.
The Reds, chasing a sixth home win in seven matches, had responded impressively to Reach's sweet fifth-minute strike following a corner.
Ben Brereton dragged an effort wide after a bustling run, Kieren Dowell had a long-range shot well saved by Joe Wildsmith - who made even better stops to deny McKay and Ben Osborn.
But Wednesday, who parted company with head coach Carlos Carvalhal on Christmas Eve after a fourth consecutive defeat, were much more solid after Rhodes sent keeper Jordan Smith the wrong way from the penalty spot following Tyler Walker's push on Morgan Fox.
And the main goal threat came from the visitors, with Smith adding to a list of decent saves by keeping out Portuguese striker Joao's rasping strike as Wednesday moved up to 14th in the table, one point and one place behind Forest.
Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton:
"We have lost 3-0 so I cannot stand here and give you too many positives.
"The first goal, we might have cleared our lines better, but it was a wonder strike. Then I thought we created lots of chances, including three clear one-on-ones, as well as numerous balls across the face of goal.
"The simple thing is putting the ball in the back of the net. For all the chances you create, you have to get your rewards for them. We did not do that.
"The decision for the penalty - I am totally bemused by. We have watched it time and again. I cannot see it.
"We found ourselves 2-0 down at half-time and the crowd, quite rightly, got restless. It was a huge crowd and we let them down. We never showed the quality to get something after the break. But to create that many chances and not score is tough to take."
Sheffield Wednesday interim boss Lee Bullen:
"It was a bittersweet day, because ultimately a man has lost his job a couple of days ago and he is a really good man and a really good coach.
"Sometimes the players have to take a little bit of responsibility for that. They have done - they have put their hands up and admitted that we have not played to the standards that we can.
"That is the saddest thing about modern football - sometimes you get that bounce after a change. I am gutted personally for the man, because he is a good friend of mine. I am sure he will bounce back into football.
"But how many times do you see that kind of reaction? More often than not people say, 'How the heck have they produced that?', when they have not seen that over the past five or six weeks.
"It was a fabulous win for us. Possession-wise, they had twice as much of the ball as us. But we have to be really pleased with that performance."
Line-ups
Nottm Forest
- 43Smith
- 2Lichaj
- 42Worrall
- 4MancienneBooked at 90mins
- 11Osborn
- 7Bridcutt
- 31BouchalakisSubstituted forCashat 69'minutes
- 17BreretonBooked at 88mins
- 20Dowell
- 10McKaySubstituted forCummingsat 70'minutes
- 34WalkerSubstituted forWardat 80'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Traore
- 14Cash
- 16Clough
- 18Carayol
- 19Ward
- 30Henderson
- 35Cummings
Sheff Wed
- 28Wildsmith
- 16Palmer
- 12Loovens
- 4van AkenSubstituted forPudilat 59'minutes
- 6Fox
- 18Lucas JoãoSubstituted forJonesat 71'minutes
- 23Hutchinson
- 20Reach
- 33Wallace
- 14HooperSubstituted forAbdiat 34'minutes
- 7Rhodes
Substitutes
- 3Jones
- 8Butterfield
- 17Nuhiu
- 19Matias
- 25Dawson
- 36Pudil
- 41Abdi
- Referee:
- Andy Madley
- Attendance:
- 28,635
Match Stats
Home TeamNottm ForestAway TeamSheff Wed
- Possession
- Home62%
- Away38%
- Shots
- Home17
- Away19
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away8
- Corners
- Home4
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away9
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Nottingham Forest 0, Sheffield Wednesday 3.
Corner, Sheffield Wednesday. Conceded by Kieran Dowell.
Booking
Michael Mancienne (Nottingham Forest) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Michael Mancienne (Nottingham Forest).
Jordan Rhodes (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt saved. Adam Reach (Sheffield Wednesday) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ross Wallace.
Foul by Michael Mancienne (Nottingham Forest).
Jordan Rhodes (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt saved. Jason Cummings (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ben Osborn.
Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Joe Wildsmith.
Attempt missed. Kieran Dowell (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jamie Ward.
Attempt missed. Jamie Ward (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Kieran Dowell.
Booking
Ben Brereton (Nottingham Forest) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ben Brereton (Nottingham Forest).
Almen Abdi (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Corner, Sheffield Wednesday. Conceded by Kieran Dowell.
Attempt missed. Matthew Cash (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Ben Osborn.
Offside, Sheffield Wednesday. David Jones tries a through ball, but Jordan Rhodes is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. David Jones (Sheffield Wednesday) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Almen Abdi.
Hand ball by Jordan Rhodes (Sheffield Wednesday).
Substitution
Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Jamie Ward replaces Tyler Walker.
Foul by Michael Mancienne (Nottingham Forest).
Jordan Rhodes (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Matthew Cash (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ben Osborn.
Foul by Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest).
Adam Reach (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Liam Bridcutt (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Sam Hutchinson (Sheffield Wednesday).
Attempt missed. Almen Abdi (Sheffield Wednesday) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ross Wallace.
Substitution
Substitution, Sheffield Wednesday. David Jones replaces Lucas João.
Offside, Nottingham Forest. Ben Osborn tries a through ball, but Jason Cummings is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Jason Cummings replaces Barrie McKay.
Substitution
Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Matthew Cash replaces Andreas Bouchalakis.
Foul by Ben Brereton (Nottingham Forest).
Daniel Pudil (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!
Goal! Nottingham Forest 0, Sheffield Wednesday 3. Lucas João (Sheffield Wednesday) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Adam Reach following a fast break.
Attempt blocked. Almen Abdi (Sheffield Wednesday) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ross Wallace with a cross.
Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jordan Rhodes (Sheffield Wednesday).
