Barrie McKay fires Nottingham Forest to opening day win over profligate Millwall

Nottingham Forest 1 Millwall 0: The Lions dominated their first match back in the Championship but failed to take their chances, and lost to a stunning strike

Forest have started their campaign with a win (Getty)

Barrie McKay had the perfect debut as he gave Nottingham Forest a winning start against Millwall.

But the Londoners will rightly feel hard done by after Steve Morison had a controversial equaliser ruled out when they had missed plenty of chances.

One-capped Scotland international McKay, 22, a £500,000 summer signing from Rangers, scored the only goal when his 25-yard drive seemed to catch goalkeeper Jordan Archer by surprise four minutes before the break before it went in off the post.

Millwall, full of vim and vigour following promotion from League One and playing a physical 4-4-2 formaton, dominated in terms of chances but wasted them all.

George Saville and Jed Wallace, making their first appearances for the Lions since their moves from Wolves became permanent, made an early impression.

First midfielder Saville prodded wide from the edge of the six-yard box with six minutes on the clock.

Then Morison volleyed against the underside of the bar after Jake Cooper headed a corner back into the danger area on 12.

That came after Wallace ran the Forest defence ragged in a 50-yard chase before his cross was scrambled behind by Michael Mancienne.

Forest waited in vain for an offside flag as Lee Gregory sprinted through only to drag a fierce angled drive wide.

Aiden O'Brien was next, planting a free header inches over the bar from another Wallace cross.

Forest failed to threaten until the 27th minute, when £10m-rated striker Ben Brereton's shot on the turn was deflected behind.

That saw Mark Warburton's side finally come to the party – and Brereton was the main attraction.

After threatening with the hosts' first chance, the gifted teenager floated a chip that just drifted over.

But Millwall remained a threat and Gregory tried to wriggle through only to be denied by keeper Jordan Smith.

Forest took an undeserved lead when McKay advanced before trying his luck from 25 yards.

His fierce drive seemed to catch keeper Jordan Archer by surprise as it went in off the post.

Undeterred, Millwall remained a threat and there was still time before the break for Wallace to brush the sidenetting with a viciously curling free kick from 25 yards.

Millwall's misses continued as Gregory somehow fired over an open goal after Morison unselfishly squared to him when Jordan Smith threw the ball to him by mistake on 50.

Forest boss Warburton made a double substitution in the 58th minute when Kieran Dowell and Chris Cohen replaced Brereton and Ben Osborn.

Dowell made his competitive Forest debut after joining on a season-long loan from Everton.

But it changed little as the Londoners missed another golden opportunity on 64.

This time it was down to Smith's heroics as he foiled Gregory after Morison teed him up again with only the keeper to beat.

Millwall were denied a controversial equaliser 14 minutes from time when Morison's volley at the far post crept past Smith after Wallace crossed.

The linesman on the near side kept his flag down and it was a mystery why the effort was disallowed by referee Peter Bankes.

Then it was Forest's turn to feel hard done by as Zach Clough lobbed home after a clever corner exchange with McKay only for the offside flag to be raised.