By Our Man at the Gtech
SEAN DYCHE proved he’s still the master of the “Great Escape” as his NOTTINGHAM FOREST side pulled off a sensational 2-0 smash-and-grab at the Gtech Community Stadium.
On a day where the Bees’ sting was nowhere to be found, it was Forest’s Brazilian star IGOR JESUS who rose to the occasion, turning London into a Samba party before substitute TAIWO AWONIYI hammered the final nail into the Brentford coffin.
The Tricky Trees arrived in West London with their backs against the wall after West Ham’s victory 24 hours earlier had narrowed the gap to the drop zone. But Dyche’s men clearly hadn’t read the script for a Brentford stroll.
The deadlock was shattered after just 12 minutes. OLA AINA—a constant menace on the flank—whipped in a looping cross that had the Brentford backline static.
JESUS showed exactly why Forest spent the big bucks, controlling the ball expertly on his chest before swivelling to fire a half-volley past a helpless CAOIMHIN KELLEHER.
It was a moment of pure quality that silenced the home crowd and set the tone for a gritty, resilient Forest display.
Brentford, who usually buzz with intensity at home, looked like they were stuck in treacle.
To make matters worse, disaster struck for Bees boss KEITH ANDREWS before the break. Within minutes of each other, defensive rock KRISTOFFER AJER and playmaker MIKKEL DAMSGAARD were both forced off with injuries.
The double blow left the Bees looking disjointed. Even with the introduction of DANGO OUATTARA, who missed a sitter in the second half, the home side couldn’t find a way through the Forest “Low Block” wall.
As Brentford threw the kitchen sink forward in a desperate search for an equaliser, Forest’s talismanic MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE spotted the gap.
The England international threaded a needle-perfect pass to substitute AWONIYI, who hadn’t scored a league goal in a year. The big Nigerian didn’t look rusty.
He shrugged off SEPP VAN DEN BERG like a fly, drove into the box, and coolly slotted the ball through Kelleher’s legs to spark bedlam in the away end.
While Brentford rue their missed chances and a slip to eighth in the table, Forest move five points clear of the relegation zone.
Dyche has turned the “Tricky Trees” into a stubborn, clinical machine, and with Jesus and Awoniyi firing, the Forest fans are finally starting to believe the woods aren’t so dark after all.
