MATCH PREVIEW: FOREST VS CARDIFF CITY

Cardiff City travel to face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in our last Sky Bet Championship match before the international break.

Russell Slade’s men last travelled to the City Ground on the final day of the 2014/15 season as City recorded a deserved 2-1 victory. Both sides have seen consistency as the key to success since that day, keeping the spines of their squads intact over the summer.

Forest have a strong midfield to choose from including Henri Lansbury and David Vaughan, while Michail Antonio and new recruit Jamie Ward have plenty of flair and experience down the flanks.

Dexter Blackstock and academy graduate Tyler Walker, son of former England international Des, have both featured up front as Dougie Freedman’s men won one and drew two of their three fixtures so far.

Alongside Ward, who previously played for local rivals Derby County, Freedman has brought in defenders Matt Mills and Dani Pinillos along with Dutch loanee Kyle Ebecilio.

City favourite Chris Burke joined the Reds at the beginning of their last campaign following a three year spell with Birmingham City. The former Rangers winger made over 100 League appearances in the Welsh capital and, after signing for Forest, scored on his début at the City Ground against Blackpool.

Two others to impress for both Cardiff and Forest are Wales internationals Rob Earnshaw and Chris Gunter. Both academy graduates at City, Earnie is fondly remembered in Nottingham for his 45 goals in 83 games with the Club, while Gunter pulled on the Forest shirt 155 times before making his move to Reading.

One man to move the other way in recent years is Riccardo Scimeca who represented Forest between 1999 and 2003 before playing out his career over the course of five seasons in South Wales.

The Bluebirds have won five of their last six Championship games against Forest, but here we take a look back at a City home victory in our final year at Ninian Park.

The result was City’s thirteenth consecutive match unbeaten – a run which would rise to fifteen games as they rose to fourth place in the 2008/09 Championship.

The Bluebirds went one up when Ross McCormack’s shot deflected into the path of Paul Parry, the number eleven hitting home his first goal in four months.

The visitors, then managed by Billy Davies, did build up some pressure in the second half and threatened to equalise on several occasions. However, the win was confirmed when Jay Bothroyd’s eighth strike of the season on 86 minutes took the game beyond the Reds.

Cardiff City: Enckelman, McNaughton, Gyepes (Purse 71), Roger Johnson, Kennedy, Parry, Rae, Ledley, Burke (Comminges 90), McCormack (Eddie Johnson 90), Bothroyd. Subs Not Used: Heaton, McPhail.

Nottingham Forest: Smith, Chambers, Morgan, Breckin, Perch, Wilson, McGugan (Moloney 81), McCleary (Garner 46), Cohen, Thornhill, Tyson. Subs Not Used: Gamble, Davies, Byrne.

TICKETS: Tickets will NOT be on sale at the City Ground on Saturday. All tickets must be bought via the Ticket Office by 5pm on Friday, 28th August.

Online:www.eticketing.co.uk/cardiffcity. Phone: 0845 345 1400

LISTEN: Supporters can listen in live on Cardiff City Player HD* for all the action from Forest v City.

WATCH: Extended highlights of the match will be available to subscribers of Cardiff City Player HD*

SOCIAL: Live updates from the City Ground will come via our official Twitter account, @CardiffCityFC.

*Search ‘Cardiff City’ on the App Store and Google Play Store to view Cardiff City Player HD on Smart Phones. Content is available to subscribers 24/7.