STANDBY strikers Danny Schofield and John McAliskey put Forest to the sword in splendid style.
Schofield struck with a fierce 20-yarder while McAliskey produced a finish as cool as the Galpharm conditions.
The goals, on 14 and 31 minutes, gave Town's strong line-up comfortable control of a match in which they produced spells of excellently entertaining football.
Manager Peter Jackson watched from just behind the dug-outs as seven regular first-team squad members made their mark against a Forest line-up including fringe players David Friio, Ross Gardner, Eugen Bopp and Paul Evans, who was completely `frozen out' by previous manager Gary Megson.
While the senior players were keen to prove a point, skipper Aaron Hardy had a storming game for Town at centre-back and David Walls also caught the eye at right-back as Forest could easily have been five down at the break.
Danny Adams set the tempo with a couple of uncompromising challenges - one of which left Andy Rigby needing four minutes of treatment - and Adams and McAliskey went close before Town deservedly took the lead.
McAliskey battled for the ball and, laying it off inside, found Schofield in a few yards of space. It was all he needed to unleash a wicked low drive which beat keeper Paddy Gamble off his righthand post.
The McAliskey finish came from a long Tom Clarke through ball but his neat side-foot finish came only after a clever side-step inside defender Justyn Roberts.
Trialist Jason St Juste had his best run to tee-up another Schofield chance, but Gamble produced a great goalline block, and then Matthew Young crashed a 30-yard drive against the bar.
Forest rarely troubled Paul Rachubka and the second half became a dull stalemate, although Adnan Ahmed's stinging 84th-minute shot brought a smart block from Gamble.
By then, Schofield and Mark Hudson had been replaced, ready for the first-team squad.
Town - Rachubka, Walls, Adams, Hudson (Highley 73), Clarke, Hardy, Young, Ahmed, McAliskey, Schofield (Hand HT), St Juste. Subs not used: Eastwood, Racchi, Biddle.
