Match ends, Cardiff City 0, Nottingham Forest 1.
Cardiff City 0-1 Nottingham Forest: Tiago Silva goal seals Forest win
- From the section Championship
Nottingham Forest moved to within three points of the automatic promotion places thanks to a notable 1-0 victory at Cardiff City.
Forest became only the second visiting side to win at the Cardiff City Stadium in the Championship this season thanks to Tiago Silva's goal.
The Portuguese midfielder met Lewis Grabban's cross to steer home his third of the season early in the second half.
Sabri Lamouchi's team held on to claim a first win in four league games to move above Fulham into third and keep themselves firmly in the hunt for the top two.
For Cardiff, a second successive defeat means their play-off hopes are fading with 11 games of the season remaining.
Cardiff have been a formidable force on their own ground this season, and they began with purpose as Robert Glatzel shot wide and Callum Paterson headed straight at Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba.
But the visitors took control of the contest as the first period wore on and created enough opportunities to go in front.
Sammy Ameobi saw a couple of shots saved by Alex Smithies, while Ryan Yates skied his effort after being picked out by the lively Matty Cash.
Joe Lolley was another threat down the Forest right, and his low cross opened Cardiff up only for leading scorer Grabban to shoot narrowly wide.
The Bluebirds felt they should have had a spot-kick just before the break, but referee Stephen Martin waved away their appeals after Cash tangled with Josh Murphy.
The breakthrough came on 49 minutes, with Silva feeding Grabban down the right flank and then racing into the box to guide home from Grabban's low centre.
Without the injured Lee Tomlin, Cardiff were struggling for a spark going forward as Will Vaulks lashed wide and Danny Ward shot too close to Samba with the angle tight.
Forest wasted a chance to seal the points when Alfa Semedo's shot was blocked by Joe Bennett but despite some pressure, there was to be no late Cardiff comeback.
Cardiff manager Neil Harris said:
"The difference between the teams? The goal - the quality in the penalty area, the composure, the good finish.
"We definitely got a response from Saturday. There's loads I am pleased with as a manager but ultimately we didn't win the game.
"The penalty decision goes against us. In real time I thought it was a penalty. It's a penalty. The player makes the challenge from the wrong side - it has to be a foul.
"We got into some great areas - it's just that composure and that quality in the final third. That's the difference between Forest being nine points in front of us tonight rather than three."
Nottingham Forest head coach Sabri Lamouchi said:
"I am happy of course. Three points here is not easy. It's a difficult pitch and a difficult team.
"End of February to come to Cardiff and play against this team and take three points - it is not easy to do it.
"I think we deserve this victory. We controlled the game more in the first half but we missed a lot in the final third - the last pass, the last touch.
"Three points, one goal, clean sheet - great performance. Congratulations to the lads for the commitment."
Line-ups
Cardiff
- 12Smithies
- 2SandersonSubstituted forBacunaat 81'minutesBooked at 82mins
- 4Morrison
- 16Nelson
- 3Bennett
- 6Vaulks
- 15PackSubstituted forRallsat 71'minutes
- 33Hoilett
- 13Paterson
- 11MurphySubstituted forWardat 71'minutes
- 9Glatzel
Substitutes
- 1Etheridge
- 5Flint
- 7Bacuna
- 8Ralls
- 20Whyte
- 23Ward
- 24B Smith
Nottm Forest
- 30Samba
- 11Cash
- 3Figueiredo
- 4WorrallBooked at 84mins
- 2Ribeiro
- 8Watson
- 22YatesSubstituted forSemedoat 45'minutes
- 19AmeobiBooked at 70minsSubstituted forDiakhabyat 81'minutes
- 28SilvaSubstituted forWalkerat 90+1'minutes
- 23Lolley
- 7Grabban
Substitutes
- 10Carvalho
- 14Diakhaby
- 16Jenkinson
- 17Semedo
- 20Dawson
- 34Walker
- 49Muric
- Referee:
- Steve Martin
- Attendance:
- 21,273
Match Stats
Home TeamCardiffAway TeamNottm Forest
- Possession
- Home50%
- Away50%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away18
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away4
- Corners
- Home4
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away14
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Cardiff City 0, Nottingham Forest 1.
Attempt missed. Lewis Grabban (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from more than 35 yards misses to the left. Assisted by Alfa Semedo with a headed pass.
Attempt missed. Alfa Semedo (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Adama Diakhaby.
Substitution
Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Tyler Walker replaces Tiago Silva.
Attempt missed. Leandro Bacuna (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Will Vaulks.
Attempt missed. Tiago Silva (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Yuri Ribeiro.
Matthew Cash (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Curtis Nelson (Cardiff City).
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Brice Samba.
Attempt saved. Robert Glatzel (Cardiff City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Danny Ward.
Booking
Joe Worrall (Nottingham Forest) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Joe Worrall (Nottingham Forest).
Danny Ward (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Brice Samba (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Danny Ward (Cardiff City).
Booking
Leandro Bacuna (Cardiff City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Lewis Grabban (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Leandro Bacuna (Cardiff City).
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Leandro Bacuna replaces Dion Sanderson.
Substitution
Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Adama Diakhaby replaces Sammy Ameobi.
Foul by Matthew Cash (Nottingham Forest).
Robert Glatzel (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Tobias Figueiredo.
Attempt blocked. Alfa Semedo (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lewis Grabban.
Foul by Sammy Ameobi (Nottingham Forest).
Curtis Nelson (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Danny Ward (Cardiff City) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Joe Ralls.
Attempt missed. Will Vaulks (Cardiff City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Joe Bennett.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Joe Ralls replaces Marlon Pack.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Danny Ward replaces Josh Murphy.
Booking
Sammy Ameobi (Nottingham Forest) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Sammy Ameobi (Nottingham Forest).
David Junior Hoilett (Cardiff City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Sean Morrison (Cardiff City) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Will Vaulks with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Ben Watson.
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Alfa Semedo.
Attempt missed. Matthew Cash (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Attempt missed. David Junior Hoilett (Cardiff City) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Will Vaulks with a cross.
Tiago Silva (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.