Forest are fired by young gun Johnson

DYNAMIC, dangerous, delightful. Forest have filled up the tank again and the engine is positively purring.

Brennan Johnson, who cannot put a foot wrong, made it six goals in nine games to set Steve Cooper’s team on their way in the first half before James Garner doubled the lead after the break.

Forest are three points off the top six and boss Cooper said: “I’m really pleased. We were dominant and at half-time I said to them that I didn’t want them to see the game out but to get more goals.

“We could have scored a lot more.”

The writing had been on the wall long before Johnson’s smart finish.

Bristol City keeper Daniel Bentley was the busiest man on the pitch, making crucial saves from Djed Spence, Steve Cook and Keinan Davis.

Forest were a treat in their attacking play with Spence ripping it up on the rightand Davis deploying power and end product as he picked out team-mates in good positions.

Johnson, 20, felt he had won a penalty after galloping into the area only to be upended by Tomas Kalas.

Later, Johnson’s low shot from just outside the area finally beat Bentley.

The City keeper then pulled off another top stop from Davis.

Aston Villa loanee Davis has brought a different attacking focus to Forest.

Johnson could have had a second but for a Bentley block and the keeper also denied Philip Zinckernagel right at the death.

City, on the other hand, offered very little.

Manager Nigel Pearson said: “We were miles off it. We made too many mistakes. We had a bad day.”

NOTTINGHAM FOREST: Horvath 6; Worrall 7, Cook 7, McKenna 7; Spence

8, Garner 7 (Cafu 88th), Colback 7, Lowe 7; Johnson 8, Davis 9 (Surridge

(73rd) 7), Zinckernagel 6 (Yates 81st)

BRISTOL CITY: Bentley 9; Dasilva

6, Kalas 6, Klose 6, Pring 6 (Cundy

46th), Scott 6, Williams 6, Massengo 6 (James (63rd) 5); Weimann 5; Martin 5 (Wells (57th) 4), Semenyo 5

STAR MAN: Keinan Davis

REF: D Bond