Wolves 0 Nottm Forest 3 - Report and pictures
Wolves slumped to a third defeat on the bounce after another defensive nightmare against East Midlands opposition.
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Just two weeks after shipping five at Derby, Kenny Jackett's men conceded three times after the interval to a rampant Forest side who, in truth, could have won by much more.
Wanderers slipped to 11th in the Championship as a result, leapfrogged by Forest in the process as the visitors triumphed through second-half strikes from Britt Assombalonga, Matty Fryatt and Henri Lansbury.
Wolves, meanwhile, rarely threatened visiting goalkeeper Karl Darlow and were indebted to several fine saves from Carl Ikeme that kept the margin of defeat respectable.
Jackett made three changes from the 5-0 humbling at Derby County, as midfielders Lee Evans and George Saville dropped to the bench while striker Leon Clarke was omitted from the squad completely.
With Nouha Dicko's hamstrings causing him concern upon his return from international duty, Danny Graham was thrust straight into the starting line-up after his recent loan arrival from Sunderland.
Tommy Rowe and the fit-again Dave Edwards came in for the benched duo of Saville and Evans in the middle of the park.
Molineux marked the recent passing of former skipper Eddie Stuart with a minute's applause prior to kick-off.
The tannoy's tale of the defender's debut derby goal against West Brom elicited a raucous roar of approval from the home faithful. It was Forest who made the brighter start, though.
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Inside the first minute, Michail Antonio stung Carl Ikeme's palms with a 20-yard rocketed that the Wolves goalkeeper pushed up into the air and grasped at the second attempt.
Wolves' first real sight of goal came on the quarter-hour mark as Dave Edwards raced down the right wing.
Graham beat Jamaal Lascelles to the low cross to poke an effort goalwards but it lacked power and was comfortable for Forest shot-stopper Karl Darlow.
James Henry volleyed a decent opening well wide from outside the box soon after, as Wolves began to assert some control but only Ikeme's brilliance twice prevented them falling behind just prior to the half-hour mark.
First, Ikeme produced a wonderful full-length finger-tip save to divert Lansbury's curling 25-yard effort onto the post.
And, moments later, after Danny Batth's goal-saving header denied Assombalonga a certain tap-in, Ikeme turned Fryatt's follow-up around the post.
Edwards slipped after Graham sent him racing through on goal but made no such mistake in the 34th minute.
He took a neat Rowe pass in his stride and tucking past Darlow, only for the offside flag to cut short any celebrations.
If Edwards' control had been as good, a few minutes later, Wolves would have been ahead at the break.
But he let the ball run away from him with an empty goal gaping after Darlow completely misjudged a high ball.
After the break, Ikeme made another good stop, this time to prevent Danny Fox's accurate free-kick sneaking in at his near post as the start of the second-half belonged to Forest.
Substitute Richard Stearman – on as a late first-half replacement for the injured Ethan Ebanks-Landell – slid in to tackle a clean-through Lansbury.
Wen the ball made its way back to the Forest man he shot straight at Ikeme. Fox curled inches wide from the edge of the box with Ikeme a spectator, before Wolves finally threatened.
But Edwards was unable to get any purchase on his header from a Bakary Sako cross and it sailed harmlessly wide.
Still, a Forest goal seemed only a matter of time such was the threat they carried and it arrived on 65 minutes.
Fryatt was allowed far too much space in the area to square for Assombalonga to tap home from a mere couple of yards.
It was game over three minutes later, as Forest doubled their lead, Fryatt this time the scorer as he somehow beat the much-taller Wolves defenders to glance home a Lansbury corner.
Substitute Rajiv van La Parra wasted a golden chance to get Wolves back into it with his first touch 15 minutes from time, as he sent a free header woefully wide from eight yards out.
Wolves knew it was not going to be their day soon afterwards when Rowe motored into the box looking to thunder home van La Parra's cross, but his goalbound strike was blocked by Lascelles.
And they were put out of their misery eight minutes from time, as Assombalonga dummied Antonio's low cross for the excellent Lansbury to drill home Forest's third goal from just inside the area.
It could have been even worse for Wolves but Ikeme pawed away another well-struck Lansbury effort late on and Jamie Paterson put the rebound high and wide.
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