Awoniyi finds finishing touch for Forest relief

It was a day that began with tension and ended with relief for Sean Dyche, who was able to use his post-match remarks to restate the values of patience and togetherness, after Nottingham Forest put the furore of their Europa League defeat in Portugal behind them to make it seven points from nine in the Premier League.

- Paul Macinnes

Forest are up, up and Awoniyi Taiwo Awoniyi ends his barren run to secure victory for the visitors

(ANDREW BOYERS/ ACTION IMAGES/ REUTERS)

Mouthwatering goals from Forest’s maligned strikers, first Igor Jesus with a blaster then a solo effort from Taiwo Awoniyi, decided a contest that was otherwise a tactical standoff. But the intensity with which Forest set about their task was a far cry from the insipid efforts that led to boos from the away support in Braga on Thursday. It was Brentford who were off this pace on this occasion, and a second consecutive defeat had Keith Andrews calling for his team to be “ruthless and clinical”.

Dyche said: “I thought we did well, with and without the ball. We looked creative in the first half. In the second, we had to manage the game differently. The resilience of the side, I think, is improving. We’ve just taken six points away from home and a point against the league leaders. The Premier League is not just about having technical talent. It’s about learning the game. That’s a talent in itself, and it’s a big learning curve”