Nottingham Forest 0 Hull City 2: Adkins full of praise for Tigers defence

Forest’s last win over Hull at the City Ground had come in 1977, when Brian Clough was in charge - and they rarely looked like emerging triumphant against Nigel Adkins’ side, from the moment the visitors took the lead in the ninth minute.

That goal came via a Jon Toral header - less than a minute after he had seen a penalty saved by Costel Pantilimon - with Harry Wilson sliding home the second in the 38th minute.

“It’s good to win.” Adkins said. “The lads are working extremely hard, it’s great for Jon Toral to go and score a goal from a header, a corner so that’s pleasing.

“The second goal was exceptional, counter attacking football at its best. So it was only what we deserved, I thought we did very good.

“We should have scored a third one after half time to put it to bed, but I thought defensively we were very resolute and Forest didn’t have any chances did they, let’s face it.

“I thought it was a superb away performance, but the players have shown that determination and resilience and we’ve been working hard.

“We’ve probably played better than that away from home but we have got the victory and that’s what it’s about.

“Everyone knew exactly what they were doing, we’ve been working hard on the training ground, we were structured and organised as well.

“It was an excellent performance by the players and the staff, everyone is working extremely hard and it’s a well-deserved victory.”

It continued a frustrating start to life for Aitor Karanka as Forest manager, with the Spaniard having now lost five of his first six games in charge.

But it was a change in fortunes for the Tigers, who had collected only 11 points from their previous 33 away games, with their last away success having been at Barnsley in October.

Forest made a bright start to the game, pinning Hull back into their own half, but the Tigers were to draw blood with their first meaningful attack.

When Wilson cut across Eric Lichaj in the box, referee Oliver Langford judged that the Forest man had used a hand to impede his progress, and pointed to the spot.

Toral planted the ball on the spot and looked confident enough, but Pantilimon had other ideas, diving low to his right to claw away his penalty, with Joe Worrall clearing the loose ball over the bar.

If Forest thought the job was done, they were mistaken, however. Seb Larsson delivered the resulting corner back into the danger zone and Toral had the time and space to send a simple header into the back of the net from five yards to give the visitors a ninth-minute lead.

Apostolos Vellios drove a shot wide of the target before Matty Cash went agonisingly close to an equaliser. The Forest midfielder drove through two challenges on the edge of the box and, as space opened up, fired in a low shot that bounced away off the inside of the post.

And, in the 38th minute, the Tigers took a stronger hold on the game by doubling their advantage with a goal on the counter-attack.

Will Keane powered into space down the right and drove in a low ball across the face of goal and into the centre, where Wilson was arriving to drive it high into the net from close range.

Forest introduced Lee Tomlin at half-time and he immediately tricked and flicked his way down the left flank, before curling a pass into the area that eluded both Vellios and Adlene Guedioura, with the latter feeling he had been pulled back as he tried to connect.

Hull then saw Jarrod Bowen send a good chance over the bar, when he might have made it 3-0.

Forest substitute Joe Lolley had a shot cleared off the line late on.