Nottingham Forest beat Brentford 2-0 at the City Ground on Sunday to restore a five-point cushion between them and the relegation zone.
Goals from Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi confirmed the victory for the Reds, who matched the win that West Ham obtained over Sunderland the day before.
Sean Dyche was happy with the efforts from his team against Brentford and after a drab showing in the Europa League against Braga, this was just what the head coach needed.
After the game, the analysis was centred around a number of top-performing players and now, the Reds will want to really kick on and ensure Premier League survival is secured.
Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty ImagesLewis McGugan raves about Taiwo Awoniyi after Forest win
McGugan is a regular at the City Ground these days, with Forest still very close to his heart following his time at the football club as a player.
It’s a bit of a travesty that a player so talented never got the chance to hone his skills in the Premier League but he remained loyal towards Forest for a large part of his career.
After the game against Brentford, he waxed lyrical about Awoniyi on the Forest Focus podcast and he’s in no doubt that the striker is a great player to have around the City Ground.
He said: “It’s a really big moment in the game for a player who, from experience, those moments are massive.
“I think when a player goes through those moments, it’s always interesting to see how the teammates react around him. Players can go through all sorts of things, things change, managers can change, and I think sometimes you might be out of the team, but you knuckle down, you train every day, and you become a really good teammate.
“I can imagine from seeing him around it, I think he is that. You look at his goal today and the reaction from his teammates, you can tell he’s a really good pro and a really good guy, and they’re happy for him.”
Forest now have a decision to make on Awoniyi
It’s been claimed that Awoniyi is wanted back in Germany and now it remains to be seen whether Forest will sanction a departure from the City Ground.
On this showing, there is perhaps still a part for Awoniyi to play at Forest even if Lorenzo Lucca has been signed and should be available from next Sunday.
🔢Score Taiwo Awoniyi out of 10 for his cameo against Brentford!
Let us have your scores for Big T in the comments!
Photo: Getty Images
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Awoniyi has been a stunning servant for Forest during his time at the City Ground and it would be great to see him in and around the squad between now and the end of the season.
However, his own desire to play regular football might be a big factor in this decision and if nothing else, this latest goal should have placed him in the shop window.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Nottingham Forest content each week direct to your mailbox