A first-half hat-trick from Jordan Rhodes fired Wednesday back into the play-offs in a 4-0 win at Forest this afternoon.
The comprehensive victory takes us up to fifth place on 36 points, one behind Preston in third spot and 11 points adrift of second-placed Leeds.
Rhodes drove us ahead from inside the box on nine minutes, then headed home a second four minutes later from Adam Reach’s cross and completed his treble with an overhead kick eight minutes before the break.
Stephen Fletcher, who saw an earlier effort saved, then got in on the goalscoring act with his 12th of the season, turning home the fourth from close range in added time in the first half to complete a tremendous 45 minutes for Wednesday.
Forest’s only real chance to get back in the game came with the score at 2-0 when Ben Watson missed a sitter, firing high over the bar when unmarked from close in.
After that scare Wednesday were soon back in the driving seat and, although we failed to add to the scoring in the second half, we controlled the game and might have had added a fifth late on when home keeper Brice Samba denied sub Sam Winnall.
Dawson, Palmer, Iorfa, Lees (Börner 78), Fox, Reach, Bannan, Luongo, Harris, Rhodes (Winnall 86), Fletcher (Nuhiu 82). Unused subs: Westwood, Murphy, Hunt, Pelupessy.