Nottingham Forest are comfortably through to the next round of the Carling Cup after beating Bradford City 3-0.

It was difficult for Forest to create anything in the first half, with Bradford pushing everyone back, giving the home side no room to manoeuvre in front of goal.

But Forest came out fighting after the break and were in front less than two minutes into the half. Playing some superb football they doubled their lead 14 minutes later and got a third with nine minutes to go.

The game finished on a sour note when Nathan Tyson was stretchered off after an appalling challenge by Jonathan Bateson who picked up a red card.

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Forest took a while to settle down, with neither side taking control in the opening minutes but Forest gradually started to look the better side.

Fourteen minutes in, Lewis McGugan forced a good save from the Bradford keeper from a free kick, which saw Simon Eastwood diving to his left to palm the ball round for a corner.

And Radoslaw Majewski picked up the corner brilliantly only to see his shot deflected wide for another corner.

But Bradford, defending in numbers, made it difficult for Forest to create many chances.

Forest put pressure on the Bradford goal on the half hour mark after a great break by Nathan Tyson which was followed by good work by Garath McCleary and McGugan, who
both tried to get through, but were blocked by the sheer number of Bradford players in defence.

Another good run by McGugan saw him scythed down by Lee Bullock, who picked up a yellow card for his foul.

Forest created a chance from a flick-on by Dexter Blackstock to Tyson, who saw a chance when the Bradford keeper came running out, but the linesman's flag went up.

Just before the break good link-up play down the left finished with a Tyson cross to Blackstock, but it lacked enough pace for him to get a really good header in.

Forest took the lead less than two minutes into the second half. It was brilliantly created by Tyson who made a good run down the right and picked out Paul Anderson, whose diving header sent the ball past the Bradford keeper.

And they came close when McGugan whipped in a cross, forcing Eastwood to stretch out to prevent an unmarked Chris Cohen from getting on the end of the ball at the back post.

Forest were two up on the hour, with Tyson again providing an excellent cross. And it was a great finish by Blackstock, who met the ball at the near post and got his foot up to waist height to send it home on the volley.

Arron Davies received a standing ovation from the small Forest crowd of just over 4,000 when he was replaced by Joe Garner, with Tyson moving out wide to make room for him up front.

It was then Blackstock's turn to set Tyson up and he came close with a blistering shot diagonally across goal, but Eastwood just managed to get a touch and palmed the ball round the post.

A double substitution saw Blackstock and Majewski leave the pitch to be replaced by David McGoldrick and Paul McKenna with 14 minutes remaining.

And McKenna was soon involved in Forest's third goal, putting the ball through to Anderson in the penalty area. He played it across to McGugan as he slid in and stretched out to fire in from two yards out.

Three minutes before time an appalling challenge by Jonathan Bateson on Tyson saw the referee bring out the red card to the young player on his debut. The foul left the Forest striker curled up in pain on the edge of the pitch.

It was very sad, particularly after his superb man of the match performance to see Tyson being splinted up and stretchered off to play no further part in the game.

Nottingham Forest: Paul Smith, Wes Morgan, Joel Lynch, Chris Cohen(C), Garath McCleary, Lewis McGugan, Paul Anderson, Arron Davies(Joe Garner 66min), Radoslaw Majewski(Paul McKenna 78min), Nathan Tyson, Dexter Blackstock(David McGoldrick 78min)
Subs not used: Lee Camp, Aaron Mitchell, Jordan Fairclough, Dele Adebola,
Bookings: Garner 90+2min
Scorers: Anderson 47min, Blackstock 60min, McGugan 82min

Bradford City: Simon Eastwood, Simon Ramsden, Luke O'Brien, Jason Bateson, Michael Flynn, Zesh Rehman(C), Steve Williams, Lee Bullock(James O'Brien 69min), Joe Colbeck, James Hanson, Garath Evans(Michael Boulding 80min)

Subs not used: Jon McLaughlin, Louis Horne, Chris Brandon, Peter Thorne,
Bookings: Williams 25min, Bullock 35min, RED CARD Bateson 88min

Referee: O. Langford
Attendance: 4,639 Away attn: 447