Mansfield Town produced a spirited display against Championship opposition, despite a 2-1 defeat to their close neighbours.
Stags can take heart from a valiant display, particularly in a second period of which there were many positives.
Prior to the match, Stags unveiled two of their new signings in front of a 3,247 crowd - striker Keigan Parker and midfielder Tyrone Thompson.
Stags should have won a spot kick inside the opening two minutes when Adam Smith was upended in the box following a run, but it was Forest who netted first after only ten minutes. In their first charge at goal, Nathan Tyson slid the ball home after a mix up between new defender Mark Preece and goalkeeper Alan Marriott.
Mansfield forced the first corner of the game after good work from Louis Briscoe down the right, but the flag kick came to nothing.
Adam Smith then delivered a telling cross into the penalty area but neither 18-year-old Niall O'Rafferty or Louis Briscoe could get on the end of it.
Then at the other end, Marriott had to keep out Tyson after he got in behind the defence, but the Stags shot stopper was equal to his drive inside the area.
Tyson was at it again with 20 minutes gone, beating Steven Istead for pace on the right and cutting infield before firing just wide.
O'Rafferty, starting in the centre of a front three, did all the hard work by cleverly getting the ball past his man, but his set-up pass wasn't met by onrushing runners in the area.
But in the blink of an eye, Forest's captain for the night Dele Adebola slipped the ball in the corner of the goal from inside the penalty area after the Reds' surged forward.
Stags' Paul Stonehouse had a pot shot at goal from 25 yards, with 16 minutes of the first half to play.
Kevin Sandwith had to clear off the line to prevent a third, with three minutes remaining.
Marriott had to tip round his post from a Brendan Moloney low effort, just before the first half drew to its close.
Gary Mills was the only new face in the Stags' ranks in the second half, coming on in place of Steven Istead.
Steve Foster then smashed the ball wide of goal just two minutes into the second period, as he charged forward for a Stags' free kick.
A minute later, Mills blasted high and wide after strong work from Niall O'Rafferty.
Lewis McGugan missed a sitter on 52 minutes after a low pass from the left, skying his effort over the bar.
Then Adam Smih, Stags' player of the match, unleashed a vicious low drive from the edge of the area, flashing just wide.
Ryan Williams entered the field along with Chris Smith and trialist Ashley Cain, with Smith, Sandwith and Foster the departeees.
Lee Gregory was also introduced with 20 minutes to play, in the place of Louis Briscoe.
Then the attention turned to referee Russell Booth. After Niall O'Rafferty tripped in the penalty area, Booth paused, before blowing his whistle to award the spot kick.
Ryan Williams stepped up from 12 yards to send the keeper the wrong way. Williams may have had a second moments later, but his goalward effort was blocked.
Stags continued to press and Gary Mills will have been disappointed not to get his header on target following a right wing cross from trialist Cains.
Danny Mitchley then took to the field, replacing the impressive Niall O'Rafferty. Youth teamer Bradley Munn saw the last five minutes of the action along with fellow youngster Tom Naylor while Matt Somner and Mark Preece took their place on the bench as the match reached its conclusion.
Line up: Marriott, Silk, Preece, Foster, Sandwith, Somner, Stonehouse, Istead, Briscoe, O'Rafferty, Smith
Attendance: 3,247 (1,172 away following)
