Nottingham Forest 2 (Holt 44, Fairclough 80)

Wolves 0

Keeper Billy Lumley was in fine form but he was beaten by goals from Grant Holt and Ben Fairclough as an experienced Nottingham Forest reserve side come out 2-0 winners against Wolves this evening.

The early exchanges were relatively tentative with the young Wolves team playing some nice interchanging football. However, the home mid-field partnership of Neil Lennon and Mark Byrne were keeping visiting attacks to a minimum.

Wolves made the early running in the game and the first real shot arrived on 14 minutes when Ashley Hemmings shot wide of Dale Roberts's left hand post after some good work in midfield.

Lennon was at the heart of much of Forest's creative play and following some link up on the right with Brendan Moloney, he found Holt who was given the time and space to turn and shoot from a tight angle. Lumley did well to parry the effort before grasping it at the second attempt.

Scott Dobie then went close but he could only direct wide of the keeper's right hand post following Moloney's centre.

After 34 minutes Forest almost took the lead as a corner from James Reid found Matt Thornhill who hit a superb left footed volley which Lumley had to dive low to his right to keep out.

Holt fired in a warning shot on 39 minutes as he collected an excellent through ball from Thornhill and beat his marker before firing wide from 12-yards.

But the striker didn't have to wait much longer before the deadlock was broken by a fine individual goal. He won possession in midfield and held off challenges before cutting inside and lofting a chip over the keeper and into the top corner in the final minute of the half.

Half-Time: Forest 1 Wolves 0

Mark Davies was an interval replacement for Matt Bailey as Wolves started the half strongly.

But, for all the possession Wolves enjoyed, it was Forest who broke away on 58 minutes, as Dobie twice went close to doubling the lead.

The first of his chances saw a deep cross from James Reid find him at the back post but his powerful header was acrobatically turned over by the impressive Lumley.

It was the Wolves keeper again who proved to be a thorn in the side for Dobie who powered through the middle only to see the Wolves shot stopper saving solidly at the expense of a corner.

Just before the hour mark Forest and Wolves made a change each as Holt made way for Ben Fairclough whilst Wolves introduced James Davis for Sam Winnall.

Davis was soon in the thick of things as his header from a Mark Little corner was saved by Dale Roberts who touched the ball over the bar.

Both Davies and Charlie Mulgrew receiving cautions for clumsy challenges before Forest doubled their lead with ten minutes remaining.

The visiting defence failed to clear Reid's low cross and Fairclough was on hand to prod the ball home from six-yards.

It was almost three two minutes later when Matt Thornhill fired just past the Keeper's left-hand post with Lumley at full stretch.

Forest: Roberts, Maloney, Heath, Lennon, Morgan, Perch, Byrne, Thornhill, Holt (Fairclough 57), Dobie, Reid (Tate 85).

Unused subs: Redmond, Pearson, Hopkinson.

Booking: Heath (90 - foul)

Wolves: Lumley, Little, Mulgrew, Gleeson, Edwards, Spalding, Melbourne, Bailey (Davies 45), Hemmings, Winnall (J. Davis 57), Ijaha.

Unused subs: Woolley, Dunleavy, D. Davis.

Bookings: Davies (69 - foul), Mulgrew (74 - foul).

Referee: C.L. Pawson.

Attendance: 157.