Darren Bent has criticised Nottingham Forest's defensive efforts against Middlesbrough, calling them 'poor and lazy'.

Chris Hughton's side went into the clash with the Teessiders on a run of seven matches without defeat in all competitions and were arguably seen as favourites going into the contest at the City Ground.

However it was Neil Warnock's side who came away with smiles on their faces.

After a dominant opening Middlesbrough took the lead when Jonny Howson broke out of midfield and played a simple ball into the box to find Britt Assombalonga.

The Forest defenders were calling for offside but it wasn't given and that allowed the Boro striker to have the simple task of finishing from close range against Brice Samba.

Warnock's side ended the match with a 2-1 victory over the Reds and discussing the game last night, former forward Bent has criticised Forest's defenders - most notable Joe Worrall and Cyrus Christie - for their roles in Assombalonga's opener.

Quiz: Did these 20 things happen to Nottingham Forest in 2020?

Speaking on EFL On Quest, Bent said: “It was really poor and lazy defending from Joe Worrall and Cyrus Christie, just sticking their hand up and letting Assombalonga get in there.

“A great finish through the legs of the goalkeeper."

The Verdict

To see such poor defending from Nottingham Forest was very surprising.

Chris Hughton's side have been able to pride themselves on their robust backline in recent weeks and it was expected that they were provide a stern test for Neil Warnock's hit-and-miss attackers.

However their defending was shaky at best and that's something that the Reds will need to work on if they're to kick on in the second half of the season.