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| Cardiff City beat Nottingham Forest to give Russell Slade opening win | Cardiff City beat Nottingham Forest to give Russell Slade opening win |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Russell Slade said it had been worth the wait to take charge of Cardiff after his reign finally started with a win. Legal discussions with his former club, Leyton Orient, and the international break meant the 54-year-old’s debut as manager had been delayed by almost a month. | |
| But he got under way in fine style as first-half goals from Federico Macheda and Peter Whittingham ended Forest’s unbeaten start to the Championship season. Britt Assombalonga briefly gave the visitors hope of salvaging a point with a late goal but the equaliser did not arrive. | But he got under way in fine style as first-half goals from Federico Macheda and Peter Whittingham ended Forest’s unbeaten start to the Championship season. Britt Assombalonga briefly gave the visitors hope of salvaging a point with a late goal but the equaliser did not arrive. |
| Slade said: “It was worth the wait. It has been frustrating and there was also the frustration of not having eight players over the last two weeks due to the international break. But the players worked exceptionally hard. I hope people saw a bit of a difference and a bit of a structure and a gameplan which we can develop. | |
| “The first half was really pleasing. We looked a threat going forward, we created a few opportunities and we were nice and compact without the ball. We hung on in there well during the last few minutes, which were a bit scary.” | “The first half was really pleasing. We looked a threat going forward, we created a few opportunities and we were nice and compact without the ball. We hung on in there well during the last few minutes, which were a bit scary.” |
| Slade also revealed he had received a message of congratulation from the Cardiff owner, Vincent Tan. “He has been in touch with me. He rang me straight after the game, he watched it on television,” said Slade. “I think he was slightly pleased.” | |
| TThe game swung on a key 60-second spell leading up to Cardiff’s opener. The former Cardiff winger Chris Burke skinned Joe Ralls and beat the goalkeeper David Marshall, only for his shot to be cleared off the line by Craig Noone. Cardiff went up the other end and Macheda scored first league goal for the club with a low shot. Five minutes later Whittingham fired in left-foot shot from 20 yards. | |
| The Forest manager, Stuart Pearce, admitted he had been surprised by how poor his side had been. He said: “I am disappointed with the manner of the defeat. We were not at the races, man for man and collectively we were outfought and gave away very poor goals. | |
| “There were some half-hearted challenges to stop players and that has not been us this year, and that is probably the thing that disappoints me the most. But if you think I am disappointed, then the players are even more disappointed to have seen their unbeaten run ended. | “There were some half-hearted challenges to stop players and that has not been us this year, and that is probably the thing that disappoints me the most. But if you think I am disappointed, then the players are even more disappointed to have seen their unbeaten run ended. |
| “But that is the nature of this league, if you do not play well enough you come away with nothing, no matter where you are in the table. | “But that is the nature of this league, if you do not play well enough you come away with nothing, no matter where you are in the table. |
| “Credit to Cardiff. They did OK but I thought if we had got that first goal we would have won the game 2-0 or 3-0.” | “Credit to Cardiff. They did OK but I thought if we had got that first goal we would have won the game 2-0 or 3-0.” |