Sport

Cox's first goal not enough as Forest held

REPUBLIC OF Ireland striker Simon Cox scored on his first start for Nottingham Forest but it was not enough as Jordan Rhodes’…

Wed Aug 22 2012 - 01:00

REPUBLIC OF Ireland striker Simon Cox scored on his first start for Nottingham Forest but it was not enough as Jordan Rhodes’s stoppage-time penalty salvaged a point for Huddersfield at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Rhodes barely touched the ball all evening, but he showed why he is so highly sought after by keeping his cool to slot home from the spot three minutes into time added on after Dan Harding had brought down Jack Hunt.

Cox, a recent €2.5 million signing from West Brom, struck midway through the second half when the impressive Lewis McGugan played a through ball for Cox to run on to and beat Alex Smithies with a clinical left-footed finish.

He wasn’t the only Ireland player to score on a full night of championship action, as Stephen Ward opened the scoring as Wolves finally got their campaign up and running with a deserved 3-1 victory over Barnsley at Molineux.

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After an unconvincing cup victory over Aldershot on penalties and defeat to Leeds at the weekend, there was finally some welcome cheer as manager Stale Solbakken celebrated his first league win at the helm and Wolves’ first on home soil in 2012.

Ward broke the deadlock with only eight minutes on the clock before Sylvan Ebanks-Blake added a second just after the hour mark and Dave Edwards headed a third.

Tomasz Cywka pulled one back for the Tykes but it was Wolves’ night as they recorded a seventh successive home win over their South Yorkshire visitors.

Blackpool went top of the table on six points as they beat Leeds 2-1 at Bloomfield Road, thanks to a goal from winger Matt Phillips.

The Tangerines had seen two strong penalty appeals turned down, Tom Lees open the scoring for Leeds and the outstanding Tom Ince consistently go close over the course of 64 barren minutes when manager Ian Holloway threw on Phillips and Nouha Dicko in a last throw of the dice.

Fifteen minutes later the duo had scored a goal apiece as Leeds’ tactics of holding what they had backfired on them and left them heading back to Yorkshire with a 50-50 record for the season.

Rodri marked a stunning debut after his arrival from Barcelona with a goal as Sheffield Wednesday defeated Birmingham 3-2 at Hillsborough. Nikola Zigic pulled one back but Jermaine Johnson made sure of the points with Wednesday’s third before Marlon King’s last-gasp penalty.