Bren there done that
BRENNAN JOHNSON bagged a brilliant first-half brace to boost Nottingham Forest’s play-offs push.
Welsh international Johnson’s deadly double, his 13th and 14th strikes of the season, was sandwiched between Philip Zinckernagel’s fortunate deflected opener and substitute Sam Surridge’s late fourth.
Callum Connolly got a consolation at the death, but it was a sad day at the office for Neil Critchley’s charges as their bid to gatecrash the top six was all but ended.
Forest boss Steve Cooper – whose men moved an impressive eight games unbeaten – said: “Brennan’s excellent, isn’t he? His whole approach to playing for the team and the contribution he makes is always a good one.
“The most pleasing thing is that while everyone is obviously really happy with the result, as soon as we’d said thanks and well done to everybody, the attitude was, ‘Right, let’s get on to the next one’. I really like that.”
Johnson has now scored nine goals since Christmas and he’s also weighed in with his fair share of assists for Forest.
Here he provided the cross for Zinckernagel’s 11th-minute opener, which painfully deflected off Jordan Thornily’s heel and over keeper Dan Grimshaw.
The 20-year-old buried his first goal with an instinctive effort on the half-hour mark before getting his second six minutes later as he pounced in Grimshaw’s poor clearance to chip home.
Sub Surridge hit a fourth with eight minutes left before Connolly’s consolation.
Seasiders boss Critchley said: “They had some luck in terms of their goals as well but we had some big moments, big chances today and they didn’t go our way.” BLACKPOOL: Grimshaw 4; Sterling 4, Ekpiteta 4, Thornily 4, Husband 4; Bowler 5, Stewart 5 (Connolly, 60, 6), Dougall 4, Hamilton 5 (Anderson, 63, 5); Madine 5, Yates 5 (Lavery 75, 5).
Subs not used: Maxwell, James, Keigh, Beesley.
NOTT’M FOREST: Samba 6; Worrall 6, Figueiredo 6, McKenna 7; Spencer 7, Yates 6, Garner 7, Colback 6; Zinckernagel 7 (Lolley 74, 5); Johnson 9.(Grabban 66, 6) Davis 7 (Surridge 66, 7).
Subs not used: Horvath, Mbe Soh, Dias, Mighten.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Brennan Johnson. The Forest forward once again stole the show with a brilliant first-half brace. REFEREE: Jarred Gillett 6.