Nottm Forest 2 Middlesbrough 1: Defeated Boro still tipped for the title

Forest again had to show their character to come from behind and return to winning ways under Freedman after Grant Leadbitter’s cross-shot had found the back of the net off the inside of the post in the 27th minute.

Gary Gardner scored his second goal in the space of three games as he fired the ball into the corner of the net from the edge of the area seven minutes later.

While they had to ride out long spells of pressure in the final stages, Dexter Blackstock’s neat turn and finish, after being fed by Michail Antonio in the 65th minute, was enough to secure the Reds’ sixth win in eight games since the Scotsman took charge.

Forest had lost for the first time under Freedman in midweek and he said: “I am delighted with the response they produced to going behind, to suffering a set-back against the best team in the league, the strongest squad in the league and the one that will probably go on to win the title.”

Boro chief Aitor Karanka cut a more frustrated figure and said: “When you have spent many hours on the training ground preparing for the game, when you explain to the players everything that will happen – and then it does happen – it is difficult.

“We knew this was the way the game would be played. But they scored the goals exactly how they normally do and exactly how we had prepared the players for. We have to learn from it.”

Nottingham Forest: Darlow, Kane, Lascelles, Wilson, Lichaj, Mancienne, Burke, Gardner, Lansbury (Osborn 46), Antonio, Blackstock (Collins 88). Unused substitutes: Veldwijk, Paterson, Vaughan, De Vries, Walker.

Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos, Fredericks (Nsue 39), Kalas, Gibson, Friend, Leadbitter (Forshaw 83), Clayton, Adomah (Vossen 70), Tomlin, Bamford, Garcia. Unused substitutes: Ripley, Whitehead, Reach, Woodgate.

Referee: J Moss (W Yorkshire).

Man of the match: Michail Antonio.