Lyle Taylor brace gives Nottingham Forest all the points against Wycombe Wanderers

Buoyed by his winner against Coventry City in midweek with the final kick the game, Taylor picked up where he left off by nodding Forest ahead in the 28th minute. This was no more than his team deserved after a confident first half in which Forest comfortably dealt with Wycombe’s threat and consistently got numbers forward at the other end.

Although the 4-4-2 formation deployed against Derby County earlier in the season looked about as rehearsed as a Nativity play performed by Year 2 students, Miguel Guerrero and Taylor combined well as the Spaniard dropped slightly deeper and foraged for the ball, creating space for Taylor to perform the role of an effective target man and goal-getter.

Having taken the lead through Taylor’s far post header, the question was whether Forest could see the game out comfortably and maybe add to their tally without a severe second half wobble, like the one they experienced last time out at the City Ground. As it was, the second half was largely uneventful and stress-free. Wycombe threw players on in an effort to unsettle Forest from set-pieces but Brice Samba in goal was largely untroubled.

The game was won when Taylor scampered free and slammed the ball into the net to bag his third goal in two games.

With only one defeat to his name since taking charge at the City Ground, Chris Hughton can go into the international break a satisfied man. It is to be hoped the break allows him a chance to breathe amidst a rigorous schedule.

Forest: Samba, Christie, Figuerido, McKenna, Ribeiro, Knockaert, Sow (Yates), Colback, Ameobi (Lolley), Taylor, Guerrero (Arter) . Subs: Smith, Mbe Soh, Freeman, Jenkinson, Yates, Lolley, Arter

Wycombe: Allsop, Grimmer, Jacobson, Stewart, Wheeler (Akinfenwa), Kashket (McCleary), Knight, Horgan, Thompson, Onyedinma, Mehmeti (Samuel) Subs: Stockdale, Tafazoli, Bloomfield, McCleary, Akinfenwa, Adeniran, Samuel