Nottingham Forest fell to defeat against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon, reports Nottingham Forest FC.

After Ollie Watkins gave the home side the half-time lead, John McGinn doubled the advantage before the Reds pulled a goal back through Morgan Gibbs-White.

However, the home side restored their two-goal lead minutes later to round off the scoring in the Second City.

On a bitterly cold afternoon in Birmingham, the home side came close to opening the scoring inside the opening two minutes when John Victor spread himself well to deny Watkins.

Forest rallied thereafter, controlling the play and restricting the home side in the way of chances.

With efforts on goal proving elusive for both sides, the Reds fashioned the next chance when Omari Hutchinson brought the best out of Emiliano Martínez in the Villa goal.

With one minute added at the end of the first half, the home side took the lead when Watkins fired the ball into the net from distance.

Half-time: Aston Villa 1-0 Forest

Ten minutes into the second period, the home side doubled their lead when McGinn netted his first of the game.

Forest set about finding a way back into the contest and halved the deficit when Gibbs-White chipped the ball over the Villa ’keeper to give the Reds hope of a fightback.

McGinn netted his second from distance on 73 minutes.

Gibbs-White almost added his second with time beginning to run down for the Reds, only for Martínez to spring to his left to deny the Forest no. 10.

Sean Dyche’s side are next in action on Wednesday with a trip to West Ham United in the Premier League next on our agenda.