Nottingham Forest boost survival hopes with wild win against Southampton

A few minutes before kick-off, as has become tradition, Steve Cooper emerged from the Nottingham Forest tunnel to a wall of noise, another feverish atmosphere. Long before taking a seat in the home dugout Cooper inhaled deeply and a prolonged puff of the cheeks followed. Perhaps he had anticipated the wild ride that was to come.

This was not a night that was good for the blood pressure but by the end Forest, courtesy of a Taiwo Awoniyi double, a Morgan Gibbs-White penalty and a late strike by Danilo, had wrapped up a brilliant win over bottom club Southampton and a precious three points, breathing life into their bid for Premier League survival. With three games to play, Forest’s heads are above water. How they fare at home to Arsenal and away at Chelsea and Crystal Palace, the latter on the final day, will determine their season. Mathematically, Southampton can survive but it will take a miracle from here.

Perhaps it was no surprise that this game was played at a breathless pace given both teams’ pressing need for points. Any hope generated from Leicester’s pummelling at Fulham quickly evaporated by the time Everton coasted to a surprise victory at Brighton. There is something special about games under the lights here at the best of times and filthy conditions only enhanced an entertaining, if sometimes slapstick, encounter.

Nothing epitomised the wild nature of this game more than Brennan Johnson burning past Armel Bella-Kotchap after 10 minutes, leaving the Southampton centre-back floundering like Scrappy-Doo and then on all fours. Jan Bednarek did brilliantly to prevent Johnson locating an unmarked Awoniyi. Bella-Kotchap injured himself trying to keep up and headed down the tunnel with the help of two Southampton