AFC Telford 1 - Forest 4

AFC Telford 1 - Nottingham Forest 4 

As a showpiece pre-season friendly, it never quite lived up to the promise.

The lack of big names in the Nottingham Forest line-up will have been a big disappointment to fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the likes of Andy Cole and Robert Earnshaw.

And as a footballing contest it was all over by half-time as a rampant young Forest side got themselves three goals to the good.

Still, Telford boss Rob Smith will have taken something from the evening - not least a wonderful goal from Martyn Naylor, who reminded everyone what a sweet right foot he has with a late consolation.

It was hard, too, not to admire the quality of the Championship side, who included at least five players who could count themselves as first team regulars in their starting line-up.

It took them less than eight minutes to open the scoring, and it was a well-worked goal.

Chris Cohen played the ball forward from halfway and Gareth McCleary nonchalantly flicked it on with an outstretched boot for the highly-rated Matt Thornhill, who applied a cool first-time finish.

The second arrived on 21 minutes as a young Forest side continued to dominate the game.

Keeper Ryan Young made a brave block to deny Emile Sinclair, but luck was against him and the ball fell to Ryan Whitehurst wide on the left.

He lobbed it back across goal to present McCleary with the simplest of headers from point-blank range.

It took Telford half an hour to really make an impression on the game, Lee Moore dragging a shot wide after good work from Emeka Nwadike and Liam Blakeman.

They went closer still when Andy Brown headed against the bar off Moore’s cross.

The overworked Bucks defence was breached yet again on 37 minutes, though, with Adam Newbold curling a crisp right-footed shot into the bottom corner after Cohen’s initial effort had been well blocked by Carl Rodgers.

Forest weren’t about to let up in the second half either, especially with a handful of youngsters out to impress watching boss Colin Calderwood.

And a fourth goal duly came on 59 minutes, Sinclair out-muscling Rodgers inside the box and slotting past Young.

The usual flurry of late substitutions weakened Forest’s team somewhat, but they still could have added to their tally - Newbold going closest with a shot blocked on the line by Telford sub Indy Khela.

Telford at least got on the board 10 minutes from time, and it was worth the wait for the New Bucks Head fans.

There seemed to be little on as the ball dropped to Naylor 25 yards out but he hit a snap volley that screamed into the top corner.

Had Andy Cole been here to see it, he would surely have been impressed.

By Chris Hudson