Nottingham Forest eased into the third round of the Carabao Cup as they beat Grimsby Town 3-0 at Blundell Park.
Although boss Steve Cooper had changed his entire starting XI, he still named a strong line-up against the Mariners. And a comfortable first half saw his team 2-0 up at the break.
Forest could have been ahead with just five minutes on the clock. An inviting cross from Alex Mighten found Emmanuel Dennis in the box, but the front man could only fire wide.
READ MORE: Re-live the action from Blundell Park
READ MORE: Cooper names his Forest team to face Grimsby
Ryan Yates, though, had no such trouble finding the goal just before the 20-minute mark. Dennis weighed in with an assist, playing a cross into the centre which seemed to take a slight deflection as it fell for his teammate. The skipper struck the ball first time and smashed it into the top corner with a sublime finish.
Dennis spurned another chance when he hit the side-netting a few minutes later. But with 35 minutes gone, Cooper’s men doubled their advantage thanks to a composed strike from Sam Surridge, having been played in by Cafu.
Forest were on the back foot in the second half, with Ryan Taylor hitting the woodwork for the hosts. But Surridge killed off any hopes Town had of getting back in the game when he grabbed his second of the evening with 13 minutes to go. Here’s how Reds reporter Sarah Clapson rated the Forest players at Blundell Park.
Wayne Hennessey: Had a relatively quiet evening for his first appearance - particularly in the first half. Even when Grimsby were on top after the break, headers on target were comfortably dealt with. Rating: 6/10
Giulian Biancone: Did well in a back three. Defence came under more pressure in the second half, and had a few testing moments, but came through them. Rating: 7/10
Cheikhou Kouyate: A shame to see him forced off with injury as had been having an excellent game - didn’t look anything too serious, though. Had been a calm presence in the back line, being comfortable in possession. Rating: 7.5/10
Loic Mbe Soh: A call to make over whether he heads out on loan or stays at the City Ground this term. Showed he is capable of doing a good job for somebody if it is the former. Rating: 7/10
Alex Mighten: Deployed in the slightly unfamiliar role of wing-back. Looked dangerous when he had the ball - especially in the first half - and put in a few inviting crosses which Forest couldn’t quite capitalise on. Rating: 7.5/10
Remo Freuler: Early days, but demonstrated he has the potential to be a class act this season. Ran the show in midfield, playing some neat passes and constantly chipping in with challenges. Rating: 8/10
Ryan Yates: What. A. Goal. A thunderbolt for his first of the season. Led by example, putting in a hard-working performance as he captained the side. The big question is whether the away fans packed their swimwear… Rating: 8/10
Aaron Donnelly: A proud moment for the youngster, being handed his senior debut. Acquitted himself really well. Good use of the ball and dealt with some tricky long throws from the hosts. Rating: 7.5/10
Cafu: A couple of nice assists for the Portuguese, played the ball in with perfect pace and precision for Surridge’s two goals. Covered plenty of ground throughout. Rating: 7.5/10
Sam Surridge: Showed once again why he’s the very definition of a composed finisher. A brilliant brace, with two very well-taken, emphatically-finished strikes. Rating: 8/10
Emmanuel Dennis: Plenty to be encouraged by on his debut. A couple of decent efforts at goal and a good assist for the opener. Was keen to get involved in the action. Rating: 7.5/10
Subs
Oli Hammond (for Kouyate, 69mins): Looked to get stuck into the action straight away. Built on what had been a bright pre-season when playing for the first-team. Rating: 7/10
Taiwo Awoniyi (for Dennis, 75mins): Didn’t get much of a chance to make an impact as Forest eased to victory. Rating: 6/10
Dale Taylor (for Cafu, 86mins): A young man with a bright future, handed a well-earned debut. Rating: 6/10
Zach Abbott (for Mighten, 86mins): Great to see the teenager given the chance to get on the pitch. Rating: 6/10
Subs not used: Smith, Gibson-Hammond, Fewster.
Who was your Forest man of the match? Have your say in the comments below
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