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Dougie Freedman's reign as Nottingham Forest manager got off to a winning start with victory at Brighton.

Danny Holla's free-kick was glanced in by Lewis Dunk to put the hosts ahead, before a Danny Collins header went in off the post to level for Forest.

Henri Lansbury's low free-kick put the Reds ahead, while Joao Teixeira hit the post for Brighton in the second half.

Ben Osborn swept in Forest's third before Albion substitute Beram Kayal's header set up a tense finish.

Kayal came close to an injury-time equaliser but his effort was cleared off the line by Jamaal Lascelles.

Freedman made five changes from the side which took to the field for Stuart Pearce's last game against Millwall.

Four of those came in the back five with Karl Darlow returning in goal, while Collins came in for his first game of the season and was joined by Danny Fox and Eric Lichaj.

An injury to Solly March inside 20 minutes saw him replaced by Kazenga LuaLua, who returned to action for the first time since a knee injury picked up at the end of November.

Brighton controlled the first half, with Holla hitting the angle of bar, and it was no surprise when the same man's set-piece allowed Dunk to score.

But Forest hit back within two minutes when Osborn's free-kick was met by Collins to level.

Teixeira was superbly denied by Darlow at the start of the second half and he also put a free header wide.

Another set-piece produced the game's third goal as Osborn tapped a free-kick to Lansbury, who drove in his sixth goal of the season for the Reds.

Teixeira's shot rebounded off the base of the post onto the back of Darlow and to safety as the hosts looked for an equaliser.

Chris Burke's low ball into the six-yard box was finished off by Osborn to put Forest 3-1 up, before Kayal closed the gap and nearly levelled in a thrilling end to the game.

Nottingham Forest manager Dougie Freedman:

"We had to make sure we were compact, we had to make sure we were committed to each other.

"As the game went on we grew more in confidence in our attacking play, resulting in that third goal.

"I am really, really enjoying working with the players we have and I so proud to be the Forest manager."