Nottingham Forest U18s stride to comfortable win as Statham saves penalty

And they secured three well-deserved points in their latest match at the Forest Academy on Saturday when they defeated Charlton Athletic 3-0 in the Professional Development League, with the help of a penalty save by goalkeeper Michael Statham.

Goals from Keith Asare, Will Swan and Tawanda Mutoti were enough to see off the challenge of the Addicks in a comfortable win for the Reds.

Forest were the better side throughout and opened the scoring in the 21st minute when Asare drilled a low strike into the bottom right-hand corner.

They did survive a scare when Statham pulled off his penalty save, getting down well to his right to push the Charlton kick wide.

But on the brink of half-time, Forest extended their lead. Ethan Dekel-Daks’s free-kick was spilled by the Charlton custodian and Swan was on hand to poke the ball into the net.

The Reds were in the ascendancy after the break too, and Mutoti made sure of the win when he flicked in a header from a low cross to secure a comfortable win for Gareth Holmes’s side.

FOREST LINE-UP --Statham, Clarridge, Spooner, Barnes (c), Bolland, Mutoti, Gibson-Hammond (trialist A 65), Asare, Swan (trialist B 77), Dekel-Daks, Mighten (Ogunseri 65). Subs not used: Liburd-Hines, Hammond.