Mustapha Carayol strike seals Middlesbrough victory

A first-half strike from Mustapha Carayol was enough for Middlesbrough to register a win against Nottingham Forest in the Championship this evening.

The visitors had some strong chances in the opening minutes of the game, as Lewis McGugan took a shot inside the opening minute, Elliot Ward put a header wide and Simon Cox forced a save from Jason Steele.

Boro found their way into the match, with Scott McDonald testing Forest keeper Karl Darlow with a strike from distance.

The home side took the lead just before half time, as Carayol picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area, blasting it past Darlow.

The visitors pressed for a quick equaliser after the break, as Kieran Dyer saw his shot blocked by Greg Halford before Steele saved a rebound effort from Billy Sharp.

Henri Lansbury had a shot from the edge of the penalty area, but Justin Hoyte put it behind for a corner.

Carayol almost bagged a brace inside the final 10 minutes, as he attempted to head in from a Dyer corner.

The win leaves Middlesbrough 10th in the table, while Forest slip to eighth.