Cardiff 0-0 Nottm Forest

Cardiff striker Rob Earnshaw struggled to make any impact

Nottingham Forest broke a five-game losing streak but completed another 90 minutes without scoring a goal against a lacklustre Cardiff at Ninian Park.

Forest have now gone 14 league matches without a win and last scored during the 1-1 draw at Watford on 6 December.

The point gained by Paul Hart's strugglers was not enough to lift Forest out of the bottom three.

Cardiff could only muster half-a-dozen shots on goal and lost further ground on a play-off spot.

Forest started in sprightly fashion, with Eugen Bopp letting fly from distance in the third minute and forcing City keeper Martyn Margetson into a smart save.

The visitors bossed the early stages but neither side created any further openings in the first 20 minutes.

Margetson then held Bopp's dangerous cross before City stirred into action, Chris Barker troubling Forest keeper Darren Ward with his ball into the box.

The visitors blew a gilt-edged chance to take the lead in the 24th minute, when striker Gareth Taylor lost his marker but headed Gareth Williams' cross over from six yards.

Half an hour had passed before the Welsh side had their first effort on goal, Paul Parry drilling one wide from 30 yards.

But it was Forest who were dominant and almost took the lead when Williams' shot from the right side of the penalty area beat Margetson but came back off the post.

The Bluebirds raised their game as half-time approached, with Peter Thorne firing in a shot that Ward did well to clear, then Rhys Weston seeing his effort fizz wide.

Forest picked up where they left off at the start of the second half, Danny Gabbidon blocking another effort from Williams from 18 yards and Marlon King being denied by Margetson from close range.

Cardiff boss Lennie Lawrence sent on Alan Lee for Thorne in a bid to sharpen the Bluebirds up in front of goal, soon after bringing off the ineffective Rob Earnshaw in favour of Andy Campbell.

Richard Langley fired in a rare shot on target from close range, but veteran Forest defender Des Walker was on hand to block out the last serious goal-threat of the match.

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Cardiff: Margetson, Weston, Vidmar, Gabbidon, Barker, Parry, Kavanagh, Boland, Langley, Thorne, Earnshaw. Subs: Lee, Campbell, Whalley, Alexander, Prior.

Nottm Forest: Ward, Louis-Jean, Walker, Doig, Oyen, Reid, Williams, Sonner, Bopp, Taylor, King. Subs: Jess, Roche, Gunnarsson, Cash, Westcarr.

Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire).