First-half strikes from Joe Ralls and Eoin Doyle have put Cardiff City on course for a victory at Nottingham Forest that would see the Welsh side finish ahead of them in the Championship.

The Bluebirds began brightly with Ralls, who passed a late fitness test to make the starting lineup, delivering an enticing cross into the path of Stuart O'Keefe, but the midfielder's effort was well off target.

Ralls gave Cardiff the lead on 14 minutes when a loose ball in the Forest box fell into his path and the ex-Yeovil Town man rifled his shot into the top corner of Karl Darlow's net from six yards out.

City almost doubled their lead when Doyle teed up O'Keefe, whose strike was saved by Darlow.

However, the visitors did find a second goal when a well-placed cross from Matthew Kennedy gave Doyle a free header in the Forest penalty area and the ex-Chesterfield forward duly scored his fourth in four games.

Forest tried to find a way back into the game late in the half, with Michail Antonio's strike from distance drifting wide before Henri Lansbury failed to test David Marshall with another effort.