Forest put foot down
DYNAMIC, dangerous, delightful. Nottingham 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 eight 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. We didn’t play well on Tuesday against Preston and, to be fair, the boys put it behind them and were up to speed again.
“It was the type of performance we wanted.”
The writing had been on the wall long before Johnson’s smart finish. Bristol goalkeeper Daniel Bentley was the busiest man on the pitch, making crucial saves from Djed Spence, Steve Cook and Keinan Davis.
Johnson was in the thick of the action and felt he had won a penalty after galloping into the area to collect a Davis through ball only to be upended by Tomas Kalas.
To Johnson’s fury, referee Darren Bond waved away the appeals and booked the player.
The grumbles were soon replaced with smiles as Johnson’s low shot from just outside the area finally beat Bentley.
City, on the other hand, offered very little.
Boss Nigel Pearson said: “We were miles off it. We made too many mistakes and had too many players not at it.
“We had a bad day and there weren’t many positives.”
NOTT’M FOREST: Horvath 6, Worrall 7, Cook 7, McKenna 7, Spence 8, Garner 7 (Cafu 88), Colback 7, Lowe 7, Johnson 8, Davis 9 (Surridge 73), Zinckernagel 6 (Yates 81).
Subs not used: Smith, Figs, Mighten, Lolley
BRISTOL CITY: Bentley 9, Dasilva 6, Kalas 6, Klose 6, Pring 6 (Cundy 46, 6), Scott 6, Williams 6, Massengo 6 (James 63, 5), Weimann 5, Martin 5 (Wells 57, 4), Semenyo 5.
Subs not used: Wiles-Richards, Vyner, Bell, Benarous.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Keinan Davis. Pick of a hugely impressive Forest front-line.
REFEREE: Darren Bond 6.