Striker Nathan Tyson marked his return from injury with the winner as Forest earned a deserved 3-2 victory over Watford in an entertaining game at the City Ground.

Tyson struck within five minutes of his introduction as a second-half substitute after The Reds had twice been pegged back by goals from former Derby striker Tommy Smith.

Forest were forced into two changes from the side which lost at Swansea, with captain Ian Breckin and winger Garath McCleary replacing the injured duo of Kelvin Wilson (back) and Lewis McGugan (thigh), while there was the welcome appearance of strikers Andrew Cole and Tyson on the bench following their recovery from injury.

Watford included ex-Derby players Mart Poom, Tommy Smith and Grzegorz Rasiak in their starting line-up, with former Forest loanee Will Hoskins named as a substitute.

The game started brightly and Forest had the first chance after just 40 seconds. Rob Earnshaw picked out McCleary, who in turn found Guy Moussi on the edge of the box, but Moussi made a hash of his shot and nearly hit the corner flag.

Watford then came close, Lee Williamson shooting just wide of Paul Smith's left-hand post after good work by Lloyd Doyley before Jon Harley sent a bicycle kick looping over the crossbar.

But it was Forest who broke the deadlock on 10 minutes with a stunning goal by Lee Martin. Moussi rode two tackles and released Chris Cohen who found Martin and, after Lloyd Doyley missed the interception, Martin checked inside and curled the ball superbly into the top corner from 25 yards.

Forest then enjoyed their best spell of the first half with Bennett seeing a shot deflected wide, before Cohen missed a glorious chance to double The Reds' lead. Watford skipper Jay DeMerit slipped while trying to deal with Moussi's through ball, leaving Cohen with just Poom to beat, but the 'keeper saved well with his legs from a tight angle.

At the other end, Williamson missed a decent opportunity, shooting a free-kick into the wall from the edge of the box after Wes Morgan was adjudged to have fouled Rasiak.

But the visitors did not have to wait long for an equaliser and were level after 22 minutes.

Harley's corner was flicked goalwards by Leigh Bromby, with Paul Smith pulling off a stunning save to claw the ball out diving to his right. However, Tommy Smith reacted first to the loose ball to score from a narrow angle.

Both teams stepped up the tempo as they looked to regain the lead and Cohen saw a shot blocked after good work by McCleary, before Rasiak headed just over.

But it was Forest who seized the initiative in the 35th minute. Moussi's clever through ball released Earnshaw down the middle and he lifted the ball past the on-rushing Poom and into the corner.

Martin missed the first chance of the second half, shooting over as he tried to emulate his first half wonderstrike after being found by James Perch.

Just a minute later the winger had another sight of goal, but sent a fizzing volley over the bar from Cohen's knockdown as Watford's defence stuggled to cope with Forest's movement.

The Reds looked dangerous on the break, without creating any clear-cut chances, while at the other end Rasiak could only steer the ball over the bar as he reached the end of a left-wing cross, while Tommy Smith chipped over from the edge of the box.

Manager Aidy Boothroyd made a double substitution on the hour mark, bringing on Damien Francis and Tamas Priskin for Harley and Williamson, in the hunt for an equaliser and it worked almost instantly.

Doyley's cross was met with a first-time volley by Tommy Smith who gave Paul Smith no chance, driving the ball crisply into the corner from 12 yards.

Forest fans then had the welcome sight of Nathan Tyson returning from injury as he replaced McCleary - and Tyson's first touch nearly led to a goal as his low cross was turned over his own crossbar by DeMerit.

However, Tyson was not to be denied and he made it 3-2 to Forest with his second touch after 69 minutes, tapping into an empty net after Earnshaw's deflected free kick came back off the post with Poom stranded.

Earnshaw then missed a good chance, shooting wide after being set up by Tyson, while at the other end Priskin tumbled to the floor in the area under pressure from Breckin, but the referee waved away his appeals.

Andrew Cole was given a rapturous welcome as he made his Forest debut with five minutes to go, replacing Martin, before Watford came close again.

Rasiak's cross went through Smith's hands and across goal, before John Eustace shot wide from the edge of the box.

However, as the visitors pressed, they left gaps at the back which Forest came close to exploiting.

Sinclair dribbled through only to see his shot parried away by Poom before Tyson missed a great chance for his second, rolling the ball just past the far post after being played in by Perch.