Sheff Wed 0-2 Nottm Forest

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Goals from Jack Lester and David Prutton virtually secured Nottingham Forest's First Division survival and left Sheffield Wednesday in danger of the drop.

The first half came to life just three minutes before the interval when Lester drilled a low right-foot shot into the bottom right corner of Kevin Pressman's net.

And Forest needed just three minutes of the second half to double their lead when defender Prutton placed a right-foot shot into the top right corner.

Wednesday striker Shefki Kuqi had the first shot of the match but he failed to hit the target with his left-foot effort.

Huge blow

Forest failed to create a goalscoring chance until the 22nd minute when Marlon Harewood drilled a right-foot shot from 25 yards out but failed to trouble Pressman.

On-loan Birmingham winger Jon McCarthy continued to cause problems down the left but his crosses were well dealt with by the Forest defence.

McCarthy was the next to try his luck on goal in the 36th minute but shot wide before seconds later Kuqi managed to hit the target from just outside the area but saw his shot caught by Forest goalkeeper Darren Ward.

Lester's opener came against the run of play but gave Forest a vital lift heading into the half-time break and Prutton's strike was a huge blow to Wednesday's hopes of a second-half comeback.

They continued to battle for a breakthrough but Kuqi again failed to hit the target in the 64th minute, while Lester twice shot wide as Forest tried to kill the game off.

Kevin Gallacher was denied by Ward eight minutes from time and Paul McLaren also shot wide but Forest held on comfortably.

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Sheff Wed: Pressman, Broomes, Maddix, Burrows, Haslam, McLaren, Quinn, Donnelly, Kuqi, McCarthy, Sibon. Subs: Siddall, Ekoku, Geary, Gallacher, Armstrong.

Nottm Forest: Ward, Brennan, Scimeca, Hjelde, Prutton, Louis-Jean, Reid, Gray, Williams, Lester, Harewood. Subs: Formann, Proudlock, Kevin Dawson, Westcarr, Bopp.

Referee: M Messias (York).