A Keinan Davis brace helped Nottingham Forest on their way to a 4-0 thumping of Reading at the City Ground.
Ryan Yates and Sam Surridge also got on the scoresheet against the Royals, but injuries to Max Lowe and Steve Cook put a dampener on the afternoon for the Reds.
The hosts got off to the perfect start, taking the lead with less than 20 seconds on the clock.
A lovely ball from Joe Worrall set Djed Spence free down the right, with the ball into the box finding Davis in the area. The Aston Villa loanee took a touch, turned and drilled past Luke Southwood for 1-0.
Forest kept up the pressure in a good opening 10-minute spell, with James Garner delivering a couple of dangerous free-kicks, while Brennan Johnson had an effort headed clear.
But after that, the Reds lost their way. They became sloppy and gave their opponents glimpses of getting back into the game.
Ethan Horvath had to make two decent saves, first thwarting Michael Morrison from a corner and then pushing away an effort from Yakou Meite.
Josh Laurent missed a golden opportunity to equalise for the visitors as half-time neared, sending a free header wide.
And just before the break Forest were dealt a blow when Lowe was forced off with what looked to be a groin injury, with Cafu coming on in his place.
Cook tried to get the Reds going again in the second half, sending a fierce volley over the bar - although the defender argued it took a deflection on its way.
Forest had started the second half much better than they finished the first, and they got their reward just past the hour mark.
Another delightful ball from Worrall found Davis, who took a nice touch and powered forward before hammering a fierce shot in for 2-0.
Ryan Yates then added gloss to the scoreline with 15 minutes to go, continuing his goalscoring streak with a fabulous effort from 20 yards out.
And Sam Surridge got in on the act soon after, applying a sidefooted finish to a cross from Xande Silva.
There was another injury blow for Forest just before the whistle, though, when Cook had to be helped off the pitch.
Here’s how Reds reporter Sarah Clapson rated the Forest players at the City Ground.
Ethan Horvath: The shirt seems like it is his to lose now. Made a couple of decent stops in the first half - important ones they were, too, as the Reds had gone off the boil at the time. Another clean-sheet to add to his collection. Rating: 8/10
Joe Worrall: Played a couple of exquisite passes for the first two goals - setting Spence and then Davis free. Great to see the defenders being really positive in driving forward in recent weeks. Rating: 8/10
Steve Cook: A huge blow to see him come off with an injury in the final minutes. Have to hope it’s not as bad as it looked as he was supported off the pitch. Rating: 8/10
Scott McKenna: Contributed to another good shut-out by the Reds, standing firm even when they had lost their way in the first half. Always looked to push forward when he could, too. Rating: 8/10
Djed Spence: A nice assist for the opening goal. Made a fair few of his trademark runs down the right to put the visitors under pressure. Rating: 7.5/10
Ryan Yates: Has turned into a goal machine! Four in six now for the midfielder, and this one was a beauty. Perfectly struck from range. Deservedly serenaded by the home fans after that. Rating: 8.5/10
Jack Colback: His versatility proved a useful asset again, being called upon to move from midfield to the left once Lowe went off. He’s missed when he doesn’t play in the centre, though. Rating: 8/10
Max Lowe: Has such bad luck against Reading, having picked up an injury in the reverse fixture. Looks to be his groin this time, as well. A real blow if he faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines. Rating: 6/10
James Garner: Set-piece delivery was really good in the first half especially, with some dangerous balls into the box which Forest couldn’t quite make the most of. All round performance improved after the break, much like the rest of his teammates. Rating: 8/10
Brennan Johnson: Some really bright moments when he troubled Reading. Kept plugging away, even when Forest weren’t at their best. Rating: 8/10
‘Keinan Davis: No hat-trick, but a standing ovation for the front man as he was substituted to the tune of ‘sign him up’ from the City Ground crowd. Two superbly-taken goals and another fine performance. Rating: 9/10
Subs
Cafu (for Lowe, 41mins): Can’t fault his effort or work-rate, even if he was caught out a couple of times. Made a nuisance of himself. Rating: 7.5/10
Sam Surridge (for Davis, 69mins): Two in two for the front man, netting with another delightful finish. Rating: 8/10
Xande Silva (for Johnson, 78mins): Looked sharp in the closing stages, weighing in with an assist for Surridge. Rating: 7.5/10
Subs not used: Samba, Figueiredo, Mighten, Lolley.
