Half-Time Report: Nottingham Forest cruising past depleted Blackpool

Nottingham Forest have cruised into a 2-0 half-time lead over an out-of-sorts Blackpool at the County Ground in their first Championship encounter of the season this afternoon.

The Seasiders travelled to Nottingham with just 15 players in their matchday squad, and Michail Antonio nearly compounded a summer of turmoil on eight minutes.

Chris Burke, one of seven Forest debutants on the field, crossed for fellow summer signing Antonio but the winger sent his back-post header wide of the target.

Jose Riga's side settled, however, and fired a warning shot at the Reds when Nathan Delfouneso headed a John Lundstram free kick into the side-netting.

The Tangerine failed to build on that promise and Antonio soon fired Forest into the lead on 25 minutes, drilling underneath goalkeeper Joe Lewis after Andy Reid struck the post to seal the first goal of the Stuart Pearce era.

It got worse for Blackpool five minutes later as Burke added a second by curling beyond the reach of Lewis from outside the area to give Riga's men a mountain to climb in the second half.