Chris Hughton’s reign off to dream start as Nottingham Forest beat Blackburn Rovers

Lolley’s 91st-minute shot took a deflection to wrong-foot the Rovers keeper and give the Reds a deserved first win of the season after a run of five straight defeats.

After a dull first-half, Forest dominated the second-half and it was no more than their play deserved after seeing Rovers’ keeper Thomas Kaminski make two fine saves and Sammy Ameobi hit the post.

Hughton had made four changes to the Forest team from their last game, the 2-1 defeat at home to Bristol City which cost Sabri Lamouchi his job.

Tobias Figueiredo and fit-again Scott McKenna returned to the centre of defence in place of Loic Mbe Soh, who dropped to the bench, and Tyler Blackett, while Lolley and Ryan Yates replaced Alex Mighten and Harry Arter, respectively, who both had to settle for places among the substitutes.

It was a forgettable first-half, short on incident and goalmouth action. Lolley and Ameobi both saw shots from distance sail wide, while Jack Colback’s powerful cut-back was well blocked by former Forest loanee Daniel Ayala.

Brice Samba was only called into action once, to get behind former Forest striker Ben Brereton’s weak effort from 20 yards, while Rovers goalkeeper Kaminski nearly made a hash of Cyrus Christie’s right-wing cross in the closes either side came to the breakthrough.

Forest were forced into a change early in the second half as Colback limped off to be replaced by Harry Arter – and should have beem ahead seconds later, as Grabban’s cross was headed over by the impressive Ryan Yates from four yards out.

Forest were enjoying lots of ball without creating anything meaningful, but Figueiredo had a glorious chance to give the Reds the lead just after the hour mark.

He found himself unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box from Luke Freeman’s left-wing corner, but could only head the ball down into the ground and watch it bounce tamely into the arms of the grateful Kaminski.

Kaminski then had to be alert to push away Amoebi’s poweful shot at his near post as Forest pushed forward.

Ameobi then forced Kaminski into another save, shooting powerfully towards his near post, before he had to turn substitute Lyle Taylor’s low, swerving shot on the opposite side.

Forest continued to look the most likely to score and were denied by width of the post when Ameobi saw his snapshot from the edge of the area deflected and crash back off the post with less than two minutes to play.

But Forest did finally get the goal they deserved as the clock reached 90 – Lolley, as he has done so often, cut in from the right-hand side and saw his shot heavily deflected, wrong-footing Kaminski and bobbling over the line.

A clearly shattered Lolley was withdrawn for Samba Sow as Forest held on comfortably for their first win of the season – sparking joyous scenes among the players.

Forest: Samba; Christie, Ioannou, McKenna, Figueiredo; Colback (Arter, 50), Yates, Freeman, Lolley (Sow, 90+3), Amoebi, Grabban (Taylor, 74). Subs not used: Smith, Jenkinson, Soh, Mighten.