The injury to Joe Garner and the agreement that ruled out Scott Dobie forced changes on John Ward as he brought Chris Lumsdon back in to a five-man midfield and youngster Gary Madine on to the bench for the table-topping trip to the City Ground.

It was a bright start from the Cumbrians, with Grant Smith winning his side a free-kick with just 20 seconds on the clock. Bridge-Wilkinson delivered, and the half clearance was scooped back in to the middle by Hackney. Livesey was unmarked, but he was underneath it and couldn't keep the header down.

United stayed forward, and Bridge-Wilkinson sent a lovely ball towards the penalty area, inviting Graham to challenge. He won the flick, but it took it away from goal and behind to safety. Bridge-Wilkinson repeated the cross just 60 seconds later, and this time it was Hackney who directed the header wide.

Agogo touched a near-post volley straight at Westwood in response, but it was early disciplined defending from a determined Cumbrian outfit.

Simon Hackney will wonder whether he chose the right option when he watches the SKY replays tomorrow as, in the 14th minute, he found himself clear through the middle. Graham was in attendance, but the nippy winger went for a 25-yarder and dragged it well wide.

Forest fashioned a good opening in the 16th minute when Agogo trapped a long ball forward and laid it in to the path of Commons. He went for the first-time wonder-shot, but it skewed off his foot and headed for the corner flag. He made a better fist of it in the 18th minute, though, when he latched on to a headed clearance from Livesey, but this time it was comfortable for Westwood, who had positioned himself well.

A quick break in the 22nd minute took Commons and Agogo away from their markers, and McGugan picked a pass through the middle, finding the midfield danger man. Murphy and Lumsdon closed him down, forcing him to twist and turn before he sliced his shot wide.

Persistent work from Raven led to a golden opportunity for Grant Smith in the 24th minute, when the right back tussled for possession, eventually taking the ball off the Reds defender and towards the bye line. He cut back, threading a pass to Smith, but he couldn't keep his shot down and whisked it over the bar.

Bennett thought he'd scored in the 27th minute when he caught the ball on the full from a corner, powering a header towards the roof of the net. Westwood reacted in style, launching himself off the floor to tip it over the bar.

Commons was causing problems, running from deep, and he found himself free and clear when a far post ball dropped on his head. His downward connection beat Westwood, but Horwood was in behind to cover, clearing it off the line with the help of Murphy.

United managed to ease the pressure on 34 minutes when Murphy carried the ball from defence, giving it to Lumsdon. The midfield built patiently, and Raven capitalised on some slack defending when he won a header on the edge of the box, putting it back in to the middle. Taylor tried a specatcular overhead kick, but he got too much on it and lofted it in to the crowd.

Holt put a penalty spot header over the bar at the other end, with both sides continually trying to play football, and defences claimed the bragging rights in the lead up to half time with very little given away in front of goal.

Having said that, Holt could have scored with the last attack of the half when Bennett found space out wide and curled a deep cross over. The Cumbrian born striker rose to meet it, but Horwood stayed tight and forced him to head it back across the face of the goal and away from the target.

Half Time: Forest 0 - 0 United

The pattern of the first 45 minutes continued with United piling forward when they had possession, and a quick free kick from Lumsdon set the Forest pulses racing in the 49th minute. Hackney stayed on side, and made his way to the bye line before clipping it back in to the middle. Bennett cleared it, but Raven was there to send it back in, only for Bridge-Wilkinson to blast over from 18 yards.

The blue shirts stayed forward, and Grant Smith set it up nicely for Raven as he hovered just outside the penalty area. He wasted no time in poking it back towards the penalty area, and Bridge-Wilkinson somehow failed to make a connection as it slipped under his boot, just 3-yards out, in front of the open goal.

Horwood was way off target in the 58th minute as they continued to look the more likely, but Cohen reminded the visitors that there was still plenty of work to do when he raced down the right in the 60th minute. His cross had plenty on it, but Raven intervened, nodding it away at the near post.

A huge kick from Westwood brought confusion in the 62nd minute as Wilson and Smith left it for each other. Taylor lunged in, poking it beyond the keeper, and Perch nervously shepherded it behind across the face of his own goal.

Holt put a header wide from a corner as Forest enjoyed a rare attack, but they were made to pay for their lack lustre attitude towards defending in the 71st minute when Paul Smith and Wilson left a Raven ball in to the box to bobble free. Grant Smith didn't give it up, and his challenge led to the ball spilling out towards Danny Graham. The big striker kept his cool and slotted it in, off the post, to give the visitors a well deserved lead. 

Livesey put his body on the line twice in quick succession in the 76th minute as Forest went in search of an equaliser. Commons had his piledriver blocked first, and then Agogo, on the turn, caught the thigh of the captain as he raced out to snuff out the danger. Commons was thwarted once more as Forest kept piling forward, and it was Livesey doing the damage again, standing tall at the heart of the back line.

Westwood was at his best in the 83rd minute when he acrobatically flung himself across his goal line to palm a stinging Commons free kick behind for a corner. The home fans were up on their feet, but they hadn't bargained on the in-form United keeper doing his stuff.

The Cumbrians weathered the tense period and almost scored again with 5 minutes to go when Carlton, Jeff Smith and Horwood combined on the left. The cross, when it came, was between the keeper and the defenders, and Bennett had to slide in to prevent Taylor from tapping it in.

Grant Holt was ready to celebrate in the 90th minute when he chested the ball down just ten yards from goal. With a large target to aim at, he thundered a volley off the meat of his boot but got his angles all wrong, succeeding only in sending it wide.

Murphy blocked an Agogo effort as Forest threw everyone forward, and it was to become a huge night for Gary Madine as he made his forst senior start for the club, coming on to replace Danny Graham in the 92nd minute.

The whistle blew on a monumental effort, bringing United their second consecutive away win and taking them back to second spot in League One.

Goals

United - Graham (71)

Bookings

United - Bridge-Wilkinson (81)

Teams

Forest - P Smith, Perch (McCleary 87), Morgan, Wilson, Bennett, McGugan (Davies 75), Clingan, Cohen, Commons, Agogo, Holt. Subs - Thornhill, Lockwood, Richardson.

United - Westwood, Raven, Livesey, Murphy, Horwood, Taylor, G Smith (J Smith 74), Lumsdon, Bridge-Wilkinson, Hackney (Carlton 84), Graham (Madine (90+2). Subs - Howarth, Arnison.

Away fans - 822