Djed delight as Nottingham Forest further boost their playoff credentials against QPR

Every week, Nottingham Forest seem to prove more and more that they are serious playoff contenders as Steve Cooper’s side show an extra edge to their qualities. The same applied on Wednesday night against Queens Park Rangers.

Going into the contest at the City Ground, Forest were ninth whilst QPR were fifth and have been well in the playoff mix for the entire season as opposed to the hosts’ rise up the Championship table from the foot.

Simply put, it was a colossal game for both sides, particularly the Nottinghamshire outfit who had to come away with some sort of result at the bare minimum with plenty of teams also looking to sneak into the top six in decent form.

Moreover, it would have prevented the gap between them and Mark Warburton’s team from expanding, something they can’t afford to do with any of the sides nearby.

And when the West Londoners took the lead, against the run of play in Steve Cooper’s words, late on in the first half on Wednesday night through Andre Gray, Forest had to show grit.

Show grit is certainly what they did.

The hosts saw the majority of the ball in the opening stages of the half but chances were hard to come by, with the Hoops maintaining a decent shape defensively. It seemed as though a little bit of luck was needed for Cooper’s men to find the equaliser.

Step up Djed Spence. The right-back had already been Forest’s livewire in the first half, linking up nicely on the right flank with Brennan Johnson, and further added to what would eventually be credited as a man of the match display with the essential equaliser.

It wasn’t just any equaliser though, it was an absolute marvel.

James Garner’s short free-kick to Philip Zinckernagel saw the latter switch the ball wide to Spence who found himself in acres of space and immediately shifted his body; he only had one idea on his mind.

The Middlesbrough loanee rifled the ball from 30 yards and found the top right-hand corner as the ball stayed hit after it had soared beyond the reach of former Derby County goalkeeper David Marshall, who was reminded of his association with the hosts’ fiercest rivals by sections of the home support through the evening.

Once the Reds had their equaliser, it looked as though there would only be one side who would end the contest victorious.

Cooper’s men had to work hard and remain patient to complete the turnaround but eventually, they found the breakthrough, yet again via a set-piece situation, as Ryan Yates flicked James Garner’s corner past Marshall from close range to score in his fourth consecutive match.

That in itself is some statement given the fact that the 24-year-old had scored four goals all season before the start of March.

The lead was thoroughly deserved with Mark Warburton’s side hardly having a sniff of the ball in the second period and was extended when substitute Cafu made up for a shocking miss from close range to tee up Brennan Johnson to rifle in Forest’s third.

As his side climbed up to eighth, Steve Cooper was full of praise for his side, saying: “Second half I thought we were just brilliant. We obviously play with a lot of energy and like to play high up the pitch but we played the ball and created chances and got into areas and, in the end, they just couldn’t live with us.

“We were playing against a team that’s been in the top, whatever it’s been, certainly the top six, for all of the season and to run over them as we did and create the chances that we did and to score the goals that we did, we were really good for it.”

Now, with ten league matches to go after an FA Cup quarter-final at home to Liverpool on Sunday, Nottingham Forest are headed for the crunch period of the season.

With at least one game in hand and a superior goal difference to all of the sides in and around the top six, the Welshman’s team are in an excellent position with just one point separating them from Wednesday’s visitors who dropped to sixth.

It’s been 11 years since Forest last finished a season in the top six and form suggests that an overdue run in the playoffs could be on its way.

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