The race to join Forest in the play-offs heated up after Blackpool became the only side to do the double on Nottingham Forest this season.

Billy Davies had made five changes to the starting line-up, but Forest still out-played Blackpool for much of the game, having more chances on target and off.

It was a frustrating first half for Forest, who found themselves behind after a controversial penalty decision gave Blackpool the only goal of the half.

Blackpool doubled their lead early in the second half but when Forest got one back they threw everything at the home side, only to see Blackpool get a third seven minutes before full time.

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It was a lively start to the game, with a noisy atmosphere under a clear, blue sky. Forest won the first corner game after seven minutes when Dele Adebola made a good run into the penalty area, but good defending saw his effort put out. Forest threatened from another corner when Chris Cohen's ball fell for David McGoldrick whose shot into the box was good, but it ricocheted amongst a number of players before falling kindly for Blackpool to clear.

And they had another chance when Joe Garner made a run to the edge of the box, getting away from Alex Baptiste before being bundled over by the Blackpool player, but the referee was not impressed by protestations for a penalty.

Forest continued to threaten when Garner laid the ball off beautifully to McGoldrick, who shot at an angle from just inside the penalty area across the face of goal, but the ball went just wide of the post.

Blackpool missed a chance when the ball rebounded off Luke Chambers, to appeals of handball, to Ian Evatt who blamed the sandy surface in front of goal when his effort went wide.

The home side took the lead after they were awarded a disputable penalty just after the half hour mark. McGoldrick's header came off Joel Lynch and Seamus Coleman went between the two Forest players to get on the end of the ball and fell too easily over McGoldrick's leg, with the Forest striker knowing little about it.

Charlie Adam stepped up to take the penalty and sent Lee Camp the wrong way to put the ball low into the back of the net.

A sliding tackle by Kelvin Wilson stopped them getting a second goal late in the half after James Perch gave the ball away to DJ Campbell.

And Forest also missed a chance, from a throw-in by Cohen. The ball came in to McGoldrick who sent it to Adebola who turned and fired the ball over from three yards out.

The Blackpool defence were almost caught out in the opening minutes of the second half from Cohen's free kick. He sent the ball towards the back edge of the penalty area where Chambers got on the end of it to head towards goal but it was plucked out of the air by Matthew Gilks.

But it was the home side who were on the scoresheet again nine minutes into the half. DJ Campbell saw the ball spin up from his first touch, waited for it to come down and shot towards goal from ten yards out and it took a slight deflection off Cohen to beat Camp.

Not long after the second goal Robert Earnshaw and Dexter Blackstock came on for Adebola and McGoldrick as Forest looked to fight back.

And Forest didn't have to wait long to get one back, with Joe Garner's first goal of the season, from a free kick. Cohen curled the ball in to Garner who got his head to the ball to put it past Gilks.

With Forest looking renewed, Blackstock, Earnshaw and Garner all kept the pressure up with shots on target.

And with Forest still creating all the chances, Nathan Tyson came on to further strengthen the side, replacing Lynch.

They missed a chance after a magnificent header by Blackstock across the face of goal where, as Garner came running in, Earnshaw sent the ball over with a bicycle kick.

But after all the pressure it was Blackpool who scored next with a magnificent strike by Campbell who fired the ball into the roof of the net, giving Camp no chance.

A good save by Gilks stopped Earnshaw from getting a quick one back for Forest and the home side kept up the pressure until the final whistle.

Nottingham Forest: Camp(C), Chambers, Morgan, Wilson, Lynch(Tyson 75min), Perch, Moussi, Cohen, Garner, McGoldrick(Blackstock 60min), Adebola(Earnshaw 60min)
Subs not used: Smith, Gunter, Boyd, Majewski,
Bookings: Lynch 70min
Scorer: Garner 65min

Blackpool: Gilks, Coleman, Evatt, Baptiste, Crainey, Vaughan(Dobbie 85min), Southern, Adam, Taylor-Fletcher(Bannan 88min), Campbell, Ormerod(Euell 85min)
Subs not used: Rachubka, Martin, Edwards, Clarke,
Bookings: Adam 76min
Scorer: Adam pen 32min, Campbell 54min, 83min

Referee: A.Taylor
Attendance: 11,164 Away attn: 2,450