NOTTINGHAM Forest never quite found top gear, as they suffered their second successive defeat of pre-season, losing 1-0 at Peterborough.

Manager Billy Davies named a strong side, after sending a squad made up of youth players to face Kidderminster.

But, while they showed flashes of inspiration, the Reds never had the home side under pressure for long periods.

By the final whistle, the visitors were a little unlucky not to have found an equaliser, after carving out several decent opportunities.

But while both Lee Camp, in the first hour, and substitute Paul Smith had to make smart saves, Posh keeper Joe Lewis barely had a save to make.

Forest had triumphed 2-1 in their first pre-season outing in Portugal and a Reds XI also won 2-1 at Mansfield on Wednesday.

But a stronger side lost 2-0 at Tranmere on the same night and, this afternoon, a solitary strike from former Forest player George Boyd was enough to secure a home win.

Forest started the game strongly with Dexter Blackstock looping a header wide, while Robert Earnshaw was heavily involved.

The diminutive striker had a penalty claim turned down after it seemed full-back Seth Nana Ofori-Twumasi had clipped his heels.

And Earnshaw also fired a fine chance badly wide of the target following a incisive run from Paul Anderson.

But it was Peterborough who drew first blood, through a predictable source.

George Boyd had never really been given an opportunity to shine during a loan spell with Forest at the end of last season – but he demonstrated what he is capable of after only eight minutes at London Road, providing a decisive finish from close range after Aaron Mclean had headed down a James Wesolowski cross.

Forest suffered a further blow as one of their few remaining fit central defenders, Joel Lynch, limped off with an injury in the 16^th minute, with Brendan Moloney brought on at right back and Chris Gunter slotting into the centre.

It was a towering figure at the opposite end of the pitch who almost made the breakthrough for Forest, as Dele Adebola benefited from more fine work from Anderson, but saw an initial shot saved by the keeper and a second, from the rebound, cleared off the line.

Chris Cohen then advanced forwards from left back to twice see shots blocked in the area, after turning neatly on the ball. While Blackstock also fired a half chance wide as Forest continued their search for an equaliser.

Forest made another change at the interval, with skipper McKenna replaced by Radi Majewski, who almost made an immediate impact with a half-volley inside the box that bounced back off a defender – and then drove a second effort narrowly high and wide of the target.

Lee Camp had to make a smart, acrobatic save to deny Arron Mclean as the striker’s long-range shot took a slight deflection, steering it low towards the bottom corner.

Meanwhile, from the second of two subsequent corners, defender Charlie Lee hammered a header off the underside of the bar, which bounced powerfully down and away off the Forest line.

Forest then gave Paul Smith the chance of a run out, bringing him on in place of Camp in the 60^th minute – and he was almost beaten within seconds, making a good reaction save after defender Chambers steered a header perilously close to the top corner of his own net.

Matt Thornhill and Garath McCleary were then introduced, in place of Earnshaw and Adebola.

And both players looked lively, with Thornhill showing a delightful first touch to lift the ball over his marker and turn into space, kick-starting a move that eventually saw Anderson fire narrowly wide.

Moloney, who remains the subject of interest from Notts County, produced a fine moment in the 85^th minute, as he twice beat his man on the edge of the opposition box, but just saw the ball drift away from his touch as he lined up a shot.

PETERBOROUGH: Lewis, Langmead, Lee, Wesolowski, Mclean, Boyd, McCann (Rowe 71), Mackail-Smith (Hibbert 72), Bennett, Davies (Mendez-Laing 72), Ofori-Twumasi. Subs: Simpson, Piergianni, Griffiths, Collis.

FOREST: Camp (Smith 60), Chambers, Anderson, Adebola (McCleary 65), Earnshaw (Thornhill 66), Cohen, Gunter, McKenna (Majewski 45), Moussi, Blackstock, Lynch (Moloney 16). Subs: Bennett.