Ipswich Town’s three-game unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an end as they were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
Chris Wood’s penalty early in the second half proved to be the difference as the striker scored his ninth league goal of the season by slamming beyond Aro Muric from 12 yards.
Ipswich’s Sammie Szmodics - conceded the penalty at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Picture: Barry Goodwin
The New Zealand international and one-time Town loanee continued his red-hot form in front of goal, with only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah netting more in the Premier League this season.
Forest had chances to extend their lead during a second half where the Blues struggled to match their intensity in attack that was displayed in a lively first period.
Cameron Burgess saw a header cleared off the line after 23 minutes in what was Town’s biggest chance of the contest but fell to defeat at a venue they have not tasted success at this century.
Defeat leaves the Blues inside the relegation zone on goal difference ahead of a crucial home double-header with Crystal Palace and Bournemouth to come.
While there were no goals in the opening 45 minutes, there was no shortage of goalmouth action as both sides were denied by some excellent goalline heroics.
It was Forest who went close first of all as they made a bright start in front of a lively home atmosphere when captain Ryan Yates almost broke the deadlock.
Callum Hudson-Odoi was in far too much space and saw a shot blocked that landed at the feet of Yates, the only survivor from the previous meeting with the Blues.
Sammie Szmodics has been the source of three goals on the road this season for Town, but it was his defensive effort to throw himself at the strike to keep the scores level inside the opening seven minutes.
The Suffolk side had their best chance of the half midway through it when they threatened from what was their fifth corner of the contest.
Burgess did everything right to meet Leif Davis’s deliver and direct it towards the bottom corner, but Ola Aina was in the way to clear off the line for the Reds.
The two sides then traded blows before Liam Delap’s slight touch prevented a huge opening for Conor Chaplin after Omari Hutchinson saw his shot saved by Matz Sels.
Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson were both recalled to the Forest side after missing last week’s match with injury, and the two were consistently involved in a battle with Blues skipper Sam Morsy in a gritty half but looked creative when given the space.
Wood was the target of Gibbs-White’s frequent threaded balls between the Blues’ centre-backs, but former Reds loanee Muric was equal to most and was able to gather before any further threat posed itself.
Town were made to pay for a poor defensive lapse early on in the second half as referee Tony Harrington pointed to the spot.
Chaplin was loose to give the ball away inside his own half and Szmodics was punished when his trailing leg caught Jota Silva just inside the penalty area as the Portuguese winger, on his full league debut, produced some quick feet.
Wood was on hand to score his 13th goal in 11 matches for club and country and become Forest’s joint all-time leading goalscorer in the Premier League era.
The Reds would have been wondering how they did not double their lead just a few minutes later when Muric somehow kept Town within reach of their East Midlands opponents while they were on the ropes.
The Kosovan international got a fingertip on Murillo’s header to divert it onto the crossbar before scrambling to divert the danger away on its way down.
Forest felt in control until the closing stages when Town produced their best period of the half in search of an equaliser, but they never threatened Sels any more than a first-time effort from substitute Jack Clarke which proved relatively comfortable for the goalkeeper.
The Blues kept pushing during which they introduced Nathan Broadhead for his first minutes of the season but the points remained in Nottingham to end the hosts’ own run of two straight defeats.
**Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1):** Sels; Williams (Moreno 77), Murillo, Milenkovic, Aina; Anderson (Dominguez 71), Yates (c); Hudson-Odoi (Sosa 88), Gibbs-White (Morato 77), Jota (Elanga 77); Wood. Subs: Miguel, Awoniyi, Toffolo, Ward-Prowse.
Booked: Gibbs-White.
**Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1):** Muric; Davis, Burgess, O’Shea, Tuanzebe (H Clarke 79); Cajuste (Taylor 74), Morsy (c); Szmodics (J Clarke 64), Chaplin (Burns 74), Hutchinson (Broadhead 78); Delap. Subs: Walton, Al-Hamadi, Townsend, Luongo.
Booked: Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Cajuste.
**Referee:** Tony Harrington (Durham).
**Attendance:** 30,237
**SuffolkNews Man of the Match:** Omari Hutchinson. A difficult pick with no Town player standing out on what was a disappointing afternoon at the City Ground. Hutchinson has been in good form recently and looked like a man with confidence whenever he got the ball. Was one of a few to test Sels during the first half with a low strike.