Surridge ready to be heart-breaker
SAM GOING HOME FOR PROMOTION BID 1
SAM SURRIDGE’S last hat-trick was for Poole Town in the National League South. He’s hoping his next one is in the Premier League.
“It was about six years ago,” recalls Surridge, who joined Forest from Stoke in January for £2.2million.
He has already scored eight goals, five in his past four games, to get Forest to within two wins of automatic promotion.
And for the first of those two games Surridge goes home to Bournemouth tomorrow night where victory would put Forest second with a last-game trip to Hull City.
Surridge’s family moved to Ferndown, Dorset, when he was aged seven and he joined Bournemouth’s academy seven years later. It was while he was on loan from the Cherries that he got that hat-trick for
Poole.
Surridge is crucial to Forest what with firstchoice strikers Lewis Grabban and Keinan Davis injured.
“I signed him because I’d had him on loan at Swansea,” said Forest boss Steve Cooper. “I knew what he could do and what he can become.”
Surridge headed his first, skilfully put the second in the top corner, and blasted the third.
Forest are definitely in the playoffs but they could storm straight into the Premier League after 23 years. “The next game against Bournemouth is massive for the club,” said Surridge.
“We just need to do what we are doing, keep believing. It’s a different dynamic
now, because
Bournemouth have been the favourites to go up all season. We’ve sneaked up on them.
“From where Forest were at the start of the season to where we are now, the club has gone to new levels.”
They were bottom of the Championship in September after their worst start to a season in a century – and Cooper succeeded Chris Hughton. Cooper has rattled up 22 wins in 36 league games in a dream run.
“We just need to keep doing what Steve Cooper wants us to do,” said Surridge. “All of us are excited to see what’s ahead.
“It’s at the back of our minds what the history of Nottingham Forest is, how big the club is, what the club is, and it would be a big achievement to pull this off.”
Cyrus Christie’s bizarre own goal, when referee Graham Scott sent him off for hand ball, gave a penalty, and then rescinded all that after being told the ball had gone over the line, got Forest moving.
They wasted lots of chances, Swans keeper Andy Fisher saved his fair share, and Michael Obafemi scored an unlikely equaliser. But it didn’t last.
Swans manager Russell Martin said: “It was humbling.We learnt a bit about a few guys. I don’t want to finish the season like that.”
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (3-4-1-2): Samba 7; Worrall 8, Cook 8, McKenna 8; Spence 8, Yates 8, Garner 8, Colback 8 (Laryea 82); Zinckernagel 8 (Lolley 70, 6); Johnson 7, Surridge 9 ( Mighten 77). Goals: Christie 22 og, Surridge 48, 52, 69, Mighten 84.
SWANSEA CITY (3-3-3-1): Fisher 8; Latibeaudiere 4, Naughton 4, Manning 4 (Ntcham 57, 4); Congreve 5 (Paterson 57, 4),Downes 5, Grimes 5; Christie 6, Piroe 4 (Fulton 78), Wolf 4; Obafemi 6. Goal: Obafemi 28.