Nottingham Forest keep promotion bid on track with victory over Birmingham

Nottingham Forest secured a fifth consecutive Championship victory with a 2-0 win over Birmingham to enhanced their promotion credentials.

An early goal from Keinan Davis and a powerful second-half header from Scott McKenna helped Steve Cooper’s side to three points in front of another sell-out crowd at the City Ground.

Birmingham ensured Forest did not have things all their own way, with goalkeeper Brice Samba having to make two sharp saves to hold them at bay.

But it was Forest who moved up into third place, six points behind second-placed Bournemouth.

The home fans only had to wait five minutes before their side made the breakthrough, in spectacular fashion.

Brennan Johnson fed Davis into space down the left and the on-loan Villa man rampaged into the box, before angling a powerful low shot across goal and into the bottom corner of the net. The Birmingham fans were not impressed when the striker celebrated right in front of them.

A clever corner from James Garner picked out Johnson just inside the penalty area, but the Forest forward lashed a shot wildly over, when he had time to compose himself.

Davis was proving to be a real problem for Birmingham and when he ran at them again, Nico Gordon collected a booking for rather desperately bringing the striker down from behind.

Another Garner corner this time picked out Joe Worrall, who did well to awkwardly flick a shot narrowly over the bar.

Birmingham found a rare moment of threat when Scott Hogan twisted and turned his way into the box, but his cross-shot was wayward. Samba had to make a smart save when Kristian Pedersen battled between two Forest players to connect with an angled shot.

Taylor Richards drove in a low shot but Samba always had his body behind it, as