After putting Forest on the back foot for the first half, Cherries deservedly took the lead through Connolly and then made the game safe through Pitman's penalty.
Cherries: Moss, Broadhurst, Young (Purches 30), Connolly, Howe, Bertrand, Cooper (Hollands 90), Cork, Gillett, Vokes (Gowling 57), Pitman.
Subs: Stewart, Foley.
Forest: Pedersen, Gary Holt (Dobie), Morgan, Breckin, Southall, Commons, Tyson (Harris 16), Grant Holt, Perch (Clingan 79), Curtis, Cullip.
Subs: Dobie, Lester, Gamble.
Att: 7,067
In the first few minutes of the game Neil Moss came bravely to head clear on the edge of his area leaving the Forest striker worse for wear. At the other end Brett Pitman showed a few good early touches and had a penalty shout.
Forest then came close on two occasions. Nathan Tyson showed his pace to set up Grant Holt with a header just wide and then Commons struck a curling effort from distance narrowly over the top.
That burst of pace was all Cherries saw of Forest's main threat as he came off the field a quarter of an hour into the game holding his jaw and was replaced by experienced striker Neil Harris.
Cherries also lost a player to injury in the first half. The home defence scrambled to clear the ball and Neil Young took a blow to the head in a brave challenge.
Stephen Purches was his replacement and he forced Rune Pedersen to spill a shot when he struck from a cross by Bertrand and flick by Gillett.
Eight minutes before the interval a short corner caught Forest unawares and the cross found Karl Broadhurst's whose touch had to be kicked off the goal line.
Cherries makeshift team was certainly frustrating the league leaders, who wer ebeing put onto the back foot towards the end of the first half.
Cherries forced a couple of corners just before half time and from the second as the ball was heading wide Brett Pitman managed to get a touch and divert the ball inches wide of Pedersen's post.
Half time: AFC Bournemouth 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Cherries started the second half as they ended the first and put Forest on the back foot. A free kick from Gillett was just waiting for a touch and central defender Matthew Connolly provided it to give Cherries a deserved lead.
A minute later it could have been two when Gillett's shot deflected, but Pedersen re-shaped himself in time to make the save.
Sam Vokes' first professional game lasted fifty-seven minutes. The youngster turned seventeen in October and worked his socks off before leaving the field in obvious pain. He received an ovation from the home support as he made his way to the tunnel, which is more than could be said of the treatment the kid received from the Forest fans.
Forest inevitably started to apply some pressure in the match. Commons struck another close effort from long range and Moss punched well under pressure from a Holt cross.
It wasn't all Forest however as Pitman struck a powerful low effort into the side netting mid-way through the half.
Forest's forward attempts were all proving futile with Neil Moss picking up the pieces. At the other end Josh Gowling was proving quite the target man and doing well to ease the pressure on his defence.
Moss didn't have to make many saves, but when he was called into action he tipped over a header from Nicky Southall's corner. Grant Holt then had a go himself with six minutes to go rising above Eddie Howe. The downward header looked a certain goal, but Moss's strong hand not only saved but ensured nobody would tuck in the rebound.
A minute later Mossy was at it again tipping over the bar from Southall's free kick and then holding onto another Grant Holt header.
Having suffered penalty heart-ache in two of the last three games Cherries were awardeda spot kick of their own late on. Pitman's skill saw him goalside of his marker and was pulled to the floor in the box. He took the penalty himself and struck a sweet ball into the corner.
