Forest earn crucial away win at Brentford to lift survival hopes

Nottingham Forest boosted their Premier League survival bid with a gritty away victory over Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, Sport360NG reports.

Goals from Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi secured a result that lifted Forest level on points with 16th-placed Leeds United and, more significantly, five clear of the relegation zone, easing pressure on head coach Sean Dyche.

Brentford started on the front foot and almost took the lead inside two minutes when Igor Thiago prodded wide from close range. However, it was Forest who struck first in the 12th minute through a moment of quality from Igor Jesus, who controlled the ball on his chest before swivelling to volley emphatically into the far corner beyond Caoimhín Kelleher.

The hosts had already been warned, with the Brazilian forward wasting another chance minutes earlier, but Forest were unable to build on their advantage. Having won just three of their previous 11 away league matches, the visitors dropped deeper as anxiety crept in.

Brentford came close to an equaliser before the interval when substitute Sepp van den Berg, introduced after Kristoffer Ajer was forced off injured, glanced a header narrowly wide.

Despite dominating possession after the break, the Bees struggled to turn control into clear chances, failing to register a single shot on target. Igor Thiago came closest in the closing stages, dragging a half-volley wide as Forest clung to their slender lead.

With Brentford pushing forward late on, Forest sealed the points on the counter-attack. Awoniyi used his strength to hold off a defender before coolly finishing through Kelleher’s legs to score his first league goal in over a year.

The defeat was a rare home setback for Brentford, who had been beaten only once previously at the Gtech this season. They remain eighth in the table, four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, but concerns were heightened by injuries to Ajer and Mikkel Damsgaard, both of whom were forced off with apparent knee problems.

For Forest, the result offered timely relief following a difficult European outing in midweek and extended their unbeaten league run to three matches. It also marked a welcome return to the scoresheet for Awoniyi, whose long recovery from a serious abdominal injury has tested both patience and resilience.

Most encouraging for Dyche was the impact of his forwards. Igor Jesus, a summer signing who has struggled for consistency, delivered a composed opener, while Awoniyi’s late strike provided breathing space, and renewed belief, as Forest continue their fight to stay in the Premier League.