Report | Nottingham Forest 0 Swansea City 1

Connor Roberts’ first goal of the season saw Swansea City climb to fourth in the Championship with victory at Nottingham Forest.

The Wales wing-back showed great determination to head home the only goal of the contest in the 43rd minute.

And the Swans’ defence kept another clean sheet as they made it seven points from a possible nine since Championship action resumed after the international break.

It was Swansea’s first win in nine visits to the City Ground, having last tasted victory here in 2006.

The Swans had Andre Ayew and Marc Guehi back in the starting line-up following recent hamstring injuries, while Jay Fulton also came into the side.

On the bench, Viktor Gyokeres and Jordon Garrick were selected after completing their self-isolation periods following positive tests for Covid-19.

The hosts made the far brighter start, and came close an a fifth-minute opener when Sammy Ameobi skipped to the byline and allowed Lyle Taylor to divert the ball just wide of Freddie Woodman’s far post.

Swansea responded, two excellent passes from Ryan Bennett and Roberts creating the room for Ayew to fire well over from the edge of the area.

Taylor looked to stretch Bennett as he drove towards the box a few minutes later, but the Swansea defender made an excellent covering tackle.

Bennett then met a Roberts free-kick with a header, but the ball dropped into the grateful arms of Brice Samba in the Forest goal.

The visitors then worked Roberts in down the right flank, but his cross was diverted to safety before it could reach another Swansea shirt.

The next big chance fell the way of Forest. Anthony Knockaert cut inside to find plenty of space near the penalty spot, but Woodman blocked the winger’s low shot with his legs.

But it was the Swans who took the lead just before the break through Roberts.

Ayew’s ball into the box was deflected up into the air, and the wing-back followed in strongly to beat Ameobi to the ball and head into the far corner.

And the Swans nearly doubled their lead early in the second half, Ayew sending an overhead kick wide after good work by Jake Bidwell and Matt Grimes down the left.

Forest responded by going close to an equaliser, only for Bennett to just manage to do enough to prevent Taylor having an easy finish from a header back across goal.

Roberts was having plenty of joy down the right, and he saw two threatening balls into the box cleared, the latter after a lovely nutmeg on Knockaert.

Taylor was proving a handful, and it took good work from Kyle Naughton and Bennett to prevent him running in on goal, before Knockaert volleyed wide.

Roberts had a volleyed chance of his own, which he hit straight at Samba after neat work by Korey Smith and Jamal Lowe, while Grimes drove wide from the edge of the area.

Nottingham Forest: Brice Samba, Cyrus Christie, Scott McKenna, Tobias Figueiredo, Yuri Ribeiro; Jack Colback (captain) (Harry Arter 37), Ryan Yates; Anthony Knockaert, Miguel Guerrero (Joe Lolley 53), Sammy Ameobi (Will Swans 76); Lyle Taylor.

Substitutes: Jordan Smith, Loic Mbe Soh, Carl Jenkinson, Alex Mighten, Cafu, Nicolas Ioannou.

Swansea City: Freddie Woodman; Kyle Naughton, Ryan Bennett, Marc Guehi; Connor Roberts, Korey Smith, Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Jake Bidwell; Andre Ayew, Jamal Lowe (Wayne Routledge 79).

Substitutes: Steven Benda, Ryan Manning, Jordon Garrick, Ben Cabango, Kasey Palmer, Liam Cullen, Viktor Gyokeres, Yan Dhanda.

Referee: Tony Harrington