WASTEFUL FOREST SURPRISE COOPER
BRENNAN JOHNSON helped take Nottingham Forest a big step closer to ending their 23-year Premier League exile – but boss Steve Cooper felt their win should have been more emphatic.
Forest forward Johnson got the goal that put them in control of their Championship play-off semi-final, yet could easily have struck a hat-trick.
After Jack Colback (right) had given Cooper’s side a 10th-minute lead, Johnson rolled one shot wide and had a close-range header pushed away by home keeper Wes Foderingham as the visitors dominated the first half at Bramall Lane.
And as Sheffield United tried to respond after the break, the Wales international steered in a cool second after Joe Lolley had pounced on an error by defender John Egan to set up the chance.
But Johnson was then denied by a brilliant Egan block
Sheff Utd 1 N Forest 2 Mike Whalley
as he had a chance to make it three – and Sander Berge’s late header kept the Blades alive going into Tuesday’s second leg at the City Ground.
Forest boss Cooper said: “It should have been a clean sheet and it could have been more goals, but this is the play-offs.
“It must have been great to watch. We knew we wanted to attack. It’s our way. We take risks.
“I loved our firsthalf performance. We were dominant and I was really happy with our mentality and approach.
“To come to a big stadium like this, against a good team, with good players, and do what we did tells you our mentality is in a good place.”
Berge’s late goal has given Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom hope. He said: “We’re not coming off happy to get beaten but that goal certainly changes the mood.
“Let’s hope it proves a pivotal moment.”