Neil Warnock maintains hold over Nottingham Forest as Middlesbrough bounce back

Middlesbrough bounced back from a home defeat to Birmingham to end Forest’s seven-match unbeaten run as Neil Warnock stretched his recent record against the Nottingham side to six wins in a row.

The veteran manager beat them in four straight meetings as Cardiff boss and goals from ex-Forest striker Britt Assombalonga and midfielder George Saville completed a double in his first season in charge at the Riverside. Assombalonga was one of the players who tested positive during the Covid-19 outbreak that affected the club earlier this month.

“Although you could blame the Covid situation, we were sloppy on Saturday whereas tonight we were on it from the start and I knew we’d be all right,” Warnock said.

“We played some good stuff and never took our foot off the pedal, which is lovely to see as a manager.”

The result is a setback to Forest’s bid to pull clear of the relegation places after three wins and three draws in their previous six Championship matches, either side of a win over Cardiff in the FA Cup.

To add to their woes, after pulling back a goal in stoppage time, they had defender Yuri Ribeiro sent off in stoppage time after appearing to headbutt Assombalonga as the striker tried to keep the ball by a corner flag.

Assombalonga’s goal - his fifth of the season - came after 14 minutes as the home defence paid the price for failing to play to the whistle, looking for an offside flag that never came as Jonny Howson crossed from the right and making no attempt to intercept the ball, allowing the former City Ground favourite to sweep it home unchallenged.

Only a freak save by Forest ‘keeper Brice Samba denied Assombalonga a second goal inside the opening half-hour, the striker’s powerful header from hitting the inside of a post before rebounding over the bar off the ‘keeper’s head.

Forest’s task became steeper only five minutes after the restart when Marcus Tavernier sent Saville clear on a breakaway attack to double their lead, the midfielder finishing coolly after a lunging Joe Worrall failed to intercept the pass.

The visitors had chances to have won still more emphatically, Marc Bola hitting the woodwork and Sam Morsy testing Samba with a powerful drive, before substitute Loic Mbe Soh headed a consolation for Forest in stoppage time.

“We gave away poor goals at bad times and against a team that play man to man all over the field we were not able to get going and impose ourselves,” manager Chris Hughton said.

“I’ve no complaints about the red card. You can’t afford to lose your discipline like that, you can’t allow the frustration to get to you.”