RADI Majewski conjured up an imperious display, as Nottingham Forest blew away Huddersfield to secure Billy Davies' first win since his return as manager.
The little Pole smashed a spectacular first-half hat-trick to put a smile on the face of the Scotsman – and ensure a bad start to Mark Robins' tenure as Huddersfield manager.
Having lost to Wigan in the FA Cup on Sunday, Robins then had to watch as his side were dismantled by ruthless Forest, who look to have quickly found their feet under their old boss.
Davies will have been frustrated after seeing his players spurn a host of opportunities as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bolton on his first return tot the dug-out on Saturday.
But, as well as showing the same guile and creativity, they were this time also utterly ruthless in their finishing just a few days later, with the game – which finished 6-1 to the Reds – dead and buried by the interval.
Huddersfield had taken the lead through James Vaughan, but then saw Majewski take centre stage, following up a simple equaliser in the 21st minute with two spectacular long-range strikes, all in the space of 22 minutes.
With Elliott Ward also heading home from a set-piece, Forest had three points in the bag long before Henri Lansbury added a fifth in the 55th minute. Sub Darius Henderson completed Huddersfield's misery three minutes into injury time.
Billy Sharp, who has been carrying a slight heel injury, was relegated to the bench after not being able to train properly over the last 48 hours. But that meant a start for Dexter Blackstock, the striker who had played an integral role under Davies' previous tenure as manager.
It was a striker restored to the Huddersfield starting line-up who almost made a telling contribution in just the second minute, as Vaughan connected with a spectacular over-head kick that had Karl Darlow beaten, but also looking on relieved as the ball bounced away off the inside of the post.
Andy Reid, who had played the majority of the game against Bolton wide on the left, started this fixture in the hole behind the front two, with Majewski taking on a deeper midfield role behind him.
Forest failed to see out a period of pressure, however, with Huddersfield taking a tenth-minute lead, in relatively straight forward fashion. When Oliver Norwood crossed from the right, Vaughan found himself with plenty of space to sweep home a volley from 12 yards.
The goal was no more than the visitors had deserved, with Forest looking nervous in defence and allowing Huddersfield time and space in the final third.
Cox provided a reminder of his menace in front of goal when he conjured up the room to flash a shot across the face of goal and narrowly wide.
Huddersfield found a gap in the Forest defence again, but were thwarted as Darlow made himself big to deny Scannell, as he attempted to fire the ball across goal from a position near the far post, with Vaughan screaming for a pass in the centre.
It proved to be an important piece of work from the keeper as, within two minutes, Forest were level.
Cox fired in a ball from the right and, while Henri Lansbury produced something of an air shot in the centre, it distracted the Huddersfield defence, who looked on as Majewski fired the loose ball across goal and into the bottom corner.
And the goal clearly lifted the Reds as, within three minutes of that, they had taken the lead themselves, as they began to exert their own dominance on the game.
Again the delivery came from the right, this time from a Reid free-kick. It was Ward who provided a simple, but emphatic finish, steering a header beyond the keeper and into the net from amid a melee of players.
Darlow had to react again to deny Scannell, this time as the midfielder produced a driving run down the centre, leaving Guedioura in his wake, before striking a rising shot that the keeper parried strongly.
It was Forest who were now full of attacking guile, however, with Cox seeing a shot blocked at the near post following good work from Majewski.
While Blackstock saw a powerful header bounce back agonisingly off the bar, after taking the slightest of deflections, with an over-head kick from Guedioura cleared off the line as the Algerian connected with the rebound.
Majewski bent a shot high and wide of the target, following another rampaging Forest attack.
Lansbury showed outstanding feet to jink into the box and carve out a shooting chance in brilliant fashion, only to fail to produce the same quality when it mattered, lashing well wide.
But little Pole Majewski did provide another demonstration of his quality, as he kept his composure to send a precision strike from the edge of the box right into the bottom corner in the 37th minute.
Having started the better side, Huddersfield were in disarray as Forest got into their stride in emphatic fashion. Majewski saw another effort charged down and, after Joel Lynch, the former Forest defender, had been booked for a lunging tackle on Lansbury just outside the box, Reid was only denied by a smart save from Smithies, as he sent a curling effort bending towards the far post.
And, before the half-time whistle blew, Majewski had his hat-trick, in spectacular fashion, as he simply hammered a 30-yard shot that dipped just enough, bouncing into the back of the net off the underside of the bar.
Huddersfield made a change during the interval with Scott Arfield coming on to replace Scannell. But it did little to change the tide of the game, with Lansbury making it 5-1 within ten minutes of the restart, capping off a driving, twisting run with a clever slotted finish beyond the advancing keeper.
Darlow had to make an outstanding save to deny Oscar Gobern, just two minutes after he had come on.
But Forest were generally looking comfortable, sitting on the lead without taking too many risks.
Ward went off with what looked like an injury, to be replaced by Danny Collins, while Lewis McGugan was then given a chance to impress in the final stages, coming on for Lansbury.
Cox was unfortunate not to add a sixth for the home side, following another good move, with Smithies getting down well to push away his vicious shot.
While the keeper also held a McGugan free-kick well.
But there was to be a sixth, deep into injury time, as Henderson headed home powerfully in the centre, following a fine delivery from Reid.
Man of match: Radi Majewski. Blew away Huddersfield with a first half hat-trick, with two spectacular long-range strikes following a simple close-range finish. His third goal in particular was truly outstanding, finding the back of the net off the underside of the bar from all of 30 yards.
Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire). Did not have a huge number of contentious decisions to make and generally let the game flow.
Attendance: 26,938 (1,452 away)
Forest: Darlow, Jara, Ward (Collins 58), Halford, Cohen, Guedioura, Lansbury (McGugan 68), Reid, Majewski, Blackstock (Henderson 75), Cox. Subs: Evtimov, Moussi, Greening, Sharp.
Huddersfield: Smithies, Woods, Norwood (Gobern 58), Clarke, Scannell (Arfield 45), Clayton, Novak (Sinnott 74), Vaughan, Danns, Hunt, Lynch. Subs: Bennett, Dixon, Gerrard, Lee.
Other Championship results: Barnsley 2 Wolves 1, Birmingham 0 Sheff Wed 0, Burnley 0 Middlesbro 0, Cardiff 0 Brighton 2, Derby 1 Bolton 1, Hull 2 Blackburn 0, Ipswich 0 Watford 2, Leicester 1 Charlton 2, Millwall 1 Peterborough 5, Crystal Palace 2 Bristol City 1
