A Kris Commons hat-trick gave Nottingham Forest all three points to extend their unbeaten run to seven games.

Forest took advantage of a slow start by Cheltenham with an early goal but the home side began to peg them back and had a number of chances to equalise before Commons made it two in stoppage time.

An outstanding performance by Chris Cohen was influential in Forest's performance and in the second half they increased their lead, with Commons getting his hat-trick.

Cheltenham looked far from confident in the opening stages and Forest had the first chance of the game in the sixth minute. Good delivery with plenty of pace by Chris Cohen from the right came nicely into the box but Andy Gallinagh just got in ahead of the Forest players to put the ball out for a corner.

Cohen again provided great delivery to get a cross in but the ball got a couple of flick-ons before Shane Duff cleared the ball off the line.

Forest's confident start was rewarded with a goal in the 11th minute. The ball was sent out to the left by Cohen to Julian Bennett whose cross found an unmarked Kris Commons who did well to put a glancing header down inside the far post from six yards out.

Cheltenham responded well with Craig Reid's shot parried away by Paul Smith but only as far as Dean Sinclair who tapped the ball in from a yard out but the offside flag was up.

And then Damian Spencer burst past Kelvin Wilson and got the cross in but Smith gathered the ball comfortably.

The home side continued to fight ball and when Jennison Myrie-Williams chased the ball down the left he knocked in a good, low ball across the 6-yard line but there were no takers and the ball ran to David Bird on the back post but he shot wide.

Although Forest dominated when they were going forward they didn't make the most of their possession and gave the ball away too easy on a number off occasions.

Cheltenham had another chance when the were awarded a free kick 25 yards out and Alan Wright's shot went low around the wall forcing Smith to dive to his right and palm the ball away before Luke Chambers cleared it up the pitch.

Commons caused Cheltenham a lot of trouble when he did get the ball and with seven minutes of the half remaining he headed towards the top corner of the net but the ball went just over the bar.

In the 45th minute Sammy Clingan crossed to the far post to Grant Holt who headed back across the face of goal and only inches wide of the near post.

Forest's second goal came in the first minute of stoppage time when Cohen put the ball through to Commons down the right. He got past Duff, turned and got the ball on his left foot and from 16 yards buried the ball in the corner of the net.

Both sides had good chances in the opening minutes of the second half. First Myrie-Williams missed the opportunity to get a goal back before Forest came close. Commons and Cohen combined well to get the ball forward to Junior Agogo who got round the keeper with his first ball but was unable to finish well and shot wide.

Forest piled on the pressure and a good cross by Commons caused all sorts of problems for the Cheltenham defence as Clingan and Agogo both tried to get the ball over the line.

Cohen and Commons both continued to cause all sorts of problems for the Cheltenham defence and when Lennon put the ball through to Cohen and he crossed to Commons, Duff had to flick the ball past his keeper and out for a corner.

When Cheltenham did get forward Forest looked less comfortable and Myrie-Williams' shot forced Smith to come out and smother the ball with Chambers there as back-up.

Commons got his hat-trick in the 66th minute with a long-range effort from 35 yards. Shane Higgs came out of his area to make the initial clearance but the ball hit Holt and cannoned off him to Commons who made no mistake, burying the ball in the bottom right of the goal.

A tackle by Wes Morgan, stretching his leg to get on the end of the ball, got Bennett out of trouble when he gave the ball away ten yards out and both players went down injured afterwards. Morgan was unable to continue and was replaced by Ian Breckin.

As the game got back under way Gallinagh got away and fired in a long-range shot, forcing a good save from Smith.

Commons received a standing ovation from both sets of supporters when he was replaced by Nathan Tyson with ten minutes to go.

As the match reached the final minutes Forest made a dangerous break with Tyson making a run at pace down the right. His cross was just an inch away from Agogo and the ball went out for a goal kick.

Nottingham Forest: Paul Smith, Luke Chambers, Wes Morgan(Ian Breckin76min), Kelvin Wilson, Julian Bennett, Sammy Clignan, Neil Lennon(C), Chris Cohen, Kris Commons(NathanTyson80min), Grant Holt, Junior Agogo
Subs: Dale Roberts, Lewis McGugan, James Perch,
Bookings: Bennett 52min, Morgan 68min,
Scorer: Commons 11min, 45min, 66min,

Cheltenham Town: Shane Higgs, Shane Duff, Michael Townsend, Alan Wright, Andy Gallinagh, John Finnigan, David Bird, Dean Sinclair, Damian Spencer, Jennison Myrie-Williams(Ashley Vincent
76min), Craig Reid(Gavin Caines 64min)
Subs: Scott P Brown, Adam Connolly, Sosthene Yao,
Bookings: Finnigan 48min, Townsend 57min,

Referee: P Miller
Attendance: 5,012 Away attn: 1,415