Colwill double grabs Cardiff win and piles pressure on Hughton at Forest

The substitute Rubin Colwill scored twice as Cardiff came from behind to beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 and pile the pressure on Chris Hughton.

Forest had gone ahead at the City Ground when Lewis Grabban slotted home midway through the first half. But Cardiff’s robust approach gradually ground down the home side and the 19-year-old Colwill got his first senior goal when he equalised from close range in the 58th minute.

The Wales international produced a precise curling finish for his second goal 15 minutes later to win it for Mick McCarthy’s team. Forest are bottom and looking for their first win of the Championship season.

It is Forest’s worst start to a season in 108 years but Hughton said: “I have to believe I can do that [turn things around]. I have to. I have a group of players, I have a responsibility and we have to get results. However it happens, we have to find a way to win matches. That means players stepping up to the bar; that means players gelling together and all of us doing enough to get results.

“In the first half we scored a really good goal and, without playing really well, we were still the better side. Cardiff were always going to react in the second half. They are one of the biggest Championship sides I have seen.

“They play in a certain way and that has been very beneficial for them. You have to be able to cope with it. It is a tough task. But there was a period of 15 minutes where they cranked it up and were very, very direct. There were moments during that when we just did not cope.”

Forest had taken the lead in the 23rd minute with a well-crafted goal. Max Lowe, making his debut on loan from Sheffield United, rampaged down the left before cutting the ball back perfectly into the path of Grabban, who scored from 10 yards.

Will Vaulks was involved when Cardiff levelled. The midfielder delivered a testing cross to the far post, Forest failed to clear and the ball dropped to Colwill, who forced a shot home amid a melee of players.

Kieffer Moore, another substitute, hit the base of the post for Cardiff with a downward header and Forest’s goalkeeper, Brice Samba, produced a sharp save to keep out a header from Aden Flint before the decisive strike.

Moore fed Colwill, who advanced towards goal before picking out the bottom corner with a precise, curling shot.

James Garner was denied an equaliser by a fine Dillon Phillips save from his free-kick. The Cardiff goalkeeper also kept out a Joe Lolley effort and a powerful, spectacular strike from Ryan Yates as Cardiff held on.

McCarthy said of Colwill: “I am so pleased that he has signed a new contract because, if he hadn’t, people would be all over him like a rash, watching him get a cap with Wales and then do that today.”