Johnson’s double for Nottingham Forest denies Everton rare away win

Brennan Johnson’s two equalisers enabled Nottingham Forest to extend their unbeaten home to nine matches in the Premier League and deny Everton the first away win since October that would have lifted them out of the relegation zone.

Keeping Forest four points above the drop zone when they were far from their fluent best should be seen as a favourable outcome for Steve Cooper’s side before they visit Tottenham next. Sean Dyche, back at his old stomping ground, may also be relieved with a point after his well-organised side, leading through goals from Demarai Gray’s penalty and Abdoulaye Doucouré, succumbed to Forest’s impassioned second-half response in what was a feisty and niggly clash. Everton, with seven points from Dyche’s first six games, entertain Brentford on Saturday.

For the division’s lowest-scoring teams, this game was not scheduled to turn into the goal glut that the opening half hour promised. What was also surprising was that Forest, usually so good at home, should be the side trailing/ by that juncture, against the team with such a poor record on the road.

Perhaps Dyche, a former Forest youth-team player, resident of this parish and a regular attender at the City Ground during his time out of work, felt more at home; certainly Forest were unduly accommodating hosts as they defended poorly in a first half where the visiting team prospered on the counterattack. This was the first time this season Everton had managed to score twice in the first half.

Gray, replacing Neal Maupay as Everton’s lone striker in front of a five-man midfield, converted the early penalty conceded by Jonjo Shelvey’s trip on Dwight McNeill. He converted his sixth goal of the season, in all competitions, by sidefooting his spot-kick to