HENRI Lansbury ensured Stuart Pearce's start to life at Nottingham Forest continues to run smoothly, with the midfielder returning from injury to fire the unbeaten Reds into the third round of the Capital One Cup.
Midfielder Lansbury struck in the 82nd minute to kill off Huddersfield's resistance, after the home side had initially handed Forest the lead with a bizarre own goal.
Former Arsenal man Lansbury had signed a new contract last week, to blow away the final cloud hanging over the City Ground, with newly-promoted Burnley keen to lure him to the Premier League.
But, with his future committed to the Reds, Lansbury played a starring role on his return from a pre-season knee injury, as a much changed Forest side out-classed their Championship rivals in a 2-0 win.
It is a sign of the depth of squad that Forest now possess that, despite making no fewer than seven changes to their starting line-up, Pearce's team selection still looked decidedly strong on paper – and continued to do so on grass, amid a lively first half.
Lansbury and Jamaal Lascelles made their return from injury, while German midfielder Robert Tesche was handed his debut for the club and Lars Veldwijk, who had previously seen action as a substitute, started his first game.
Otherwise, Eric Lichaj, Ben Osborn and Jamie Paterson were all drafted in, with many senior figures dropping to the bench and Andy Reid and Chris Cohen being rested completely.
Veldwijk had a moment of menace within a minute as he latched onto a ball down the middle, or attempted to at least, with Joe Murphy impressively quick out of his area to make an important clearance.
But Harry Bunn was equally quick to demonstrate Huddersfield's threat, as he launched himself into a battling run that saw him beat Michael Mancienne at the third attempt, before firing an angled shot into the side-netting.
Lansbury did not look like a player who had missed much of pre-season through injury, as he loped into the box and drove a shot against the side of the post and into the side-netting, after his initial effort had been charged down.
It was a lively opening to the game and, within a minute, Huddersfield had also hit the woodwork. Jon Stead, the experienced striker, was given too much room on the edge of the box and took full advantage, clipping a curling, placed shot across goal, which bounced away off the foot of the post with Karl Darlow at full stretch.
Joel Lynch, the former Forest defender, made an important interception as he got a touch to a Lansbury cross, taking it off the head of Veldwijk.
Tesche was settling into the game and, when Lynch had made a high, looping clearance, the former Hamburg man controlled neatly on his chest, turned sharply and struck a 25-yard shot, which he did not get quite right, with the ball fizzing well wide.
Veldwijk then showed his pace when Lansbury slotted a fine pass down the centre, from the Dutchman's knockdown. Veldwijk beat Murray Wallace for pace, but was again thwarted by Murphy, who saved bravely and brilliantly at his feet, right on the edge of the box. While Paterson also forced a save from the keeper with a rising shot, that he swatted away in equally convincing fashion.
Michail Antonio, who had earned some stick from the Huddersfield fans for what they felt was a dive, nearly responded with a goal, as he sent a now familiar brand of looping header over the head of Murphy, only to see Adam Hammill clear off the line, after Lansbury had delivered an out-swinging corner.
The winger came close again, this time following a driving, speedy break from Paterson down the right, which culminated in a fine cross-field pass for the former Sheffield Wednesday man, who saw Murphy get down to push away his powerful shot towards the near post. While Paterson, after drifting over to the left, hit a shot straight at Murphy, who made a more regulation save.
Antonio was looking in menacing mood. The Forest man was being jeered by the home fans every time he touched the ball, but he came close to scoring again with another looping header, which this time dropped narrowly over. Veldwijk too was looking lively and he almost netted impressively when he controlled and turned inside the box, but saw his driven shot fly inches wide.
The winger, despite playing well, was replaced at the break – perhaps with the visit to his former club on Saturday in mind – with Chris Burke coming on for the second half.
Veldwijk retained his lively outlook, with the striker clipping a shot across goal and just the wrong side of the post. When former Huddersfield man Jack Hunt delivered a cross to the far post, Paterson's acrobatic volley was charged down, as Forest built some early pressure after the interval.
Burke was quickly an influential figure, looking composed on the ball and eager to make darting runs, in the hope of finding a chink in the Terriers' armour. Forest added more firepower to their armoury by bringing on Britt Assombalonga for Veldwijk, who had done well.
It was a Paterson cross, from wide on the right, which ultimately led to the breakthrough, however. James Vaughan had been brought off the bench to get a goal for Huddersfield, but did it at the wrong end, as he flicked a header beyond his own keeper, to give Forest the lead in the 72nd minute.
And, with eight minutes to play, Lansbury sealed Forest's place in the third round as he stroked home a precise, side-footed finish, beyond the reach of Murphy and inside the post, from just inside the box.
By the end it was Forest who looked the more likely to add to their tally, as they again delivered another display of their attacking menace, while giving themselves a chance to face Premier League opposition in the next round.
Huddersfield: Murphy, Smith (Holmes 73), Wallace, Lynch, Dixon, Hammill, Coady, Butterfield, Ward, Stead (Scannell 78), Bunn (Vaughan 61). Subs: Smithies, Billing, Crooks, Sinnott.
Forest: Darlow, Hunt, Lascelles, Mancienne, Lichaj, Osborn, Tesche, Paterson (Fryatt 79), Lansbury, Antonio (Burke 45), Veldwijk (Assombalonga 66). Subs: Durrant, Harding, Fox, McLaughlin.
Referee: Mark Brown. Did seem to favour the home side with the occasional decision, but generally let the game flow, without handing out a host of fussy bookings.
Reds man of match: Henri Lansbury. Robert Tesche pushed him close on his debut, but the former Arsenal man capped off a good display with a goal in the 82nd minute.
