Stoke boss Michael O’Neill hailed the patience demonstrated by his side in their 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest.

Josh Tymon scored the only goal of the game with a drilled strike on a slick surface past Brice Samba to secure Stoke’s third victory of the season.

As for Nottingham Forest, their woeful start to the season continued. They suffered their fourth successive defeat and are yet to pick up a point in the Sky Bet Championship this season. They sit rock bottom of the table.

O’Neill said: “We had to be patient. I thought we played well in the first half without creating as much as we could have done. The opposition defended well, defended deep. We had a lot to break down, but we were patient.

“The game naturally opens up a bit in the second half and I thought it was a terrific goal to win the game.

“We demonstrated that patience in our play. We didn’t get in a habit of throwing the ball forward quickly and we didn’t turn the game into a second-ball game. We were patient with our play and built the game well. There were some great performances.

“The two wing-backs have had really strong starts to the season, there’s no doubt about that. In that position and to be able to arrive at that moment and chip in with a goal is important. I think what’s pleasing is that both wing-backs are high at the same time and getting involved in the build-up,” the Stoke boss said.

“Tommy (Smith) has had a lot of influence on that side and combined well. What you need is a little bit of quality just at the right moment and I think Mario (Vrancic) provides that.

“Some of our moves in the game we were unlucky but it’s great to win the game like that and with a clean sheet,” he added.

“Josh (Tymon) is one I’m delighted to see him playing the way he is now. He was a boy that I felt was not in a great place, he had a difficult time – probably with the change of managers at the club.

“He was brought here as a young player when we were in the Premier League and had a lot of potential. He never lost what he had. What he has got now is his confidence and his belief has grown.

“We lost a goal against Swansea, we switched off when we were 3-0 ahead in the game and it would have been nice to get three or four clean sheets. But more importantly, when you have one, it’s important to go for the win.

“I always felt we had the capability to score. I felt in the second half there was relentless pressure, and we were camped in around the Forest goal and that showed real belief in how we are playing, then we eventually got the breakthrough.

“There’s a lot for us to be positive about, all the players we have brought to the club have been the right type. It looks like a happy squad. We’ve been delighted with the response after a very good pre-season.”

Forest manager Chris Hughton did not face the media after full-time.