Nottingham Forest further consolidated their place in the Championship play-offs as they beat West Bromwich Albion to make leaders Fulham wait for confirmation of their promotion.
Steve Cooper’s men had the game won before the break with three fortune-laced first-half goals – Brennan Johnson’s penalty, for a handball which also triggered a red card for Albion defender Darnell Furlong, Ryan Yates’ header and an outrageous strike from Jack Colback .
Substitute Sam Surridge added a late fourth on a night when Albion’s own slim promotion hopes surely came to an end.
With just three games left, 12th-placed Albion trail sixth-placed Sheffield United by six points – and have five other clubs better placed ahead of them in pursuit of what looks like one remaining play-off place.
Forest, who still have five games left, including a trip to second-placed Bournemouth in early May, are still looking upwards, knowing that they still have a chance of automatic promotion despite their Friday slip-up at Luton.
Their eighth win in nine home league games since the turn of the year also means that Fulham cannot confirm their promotion to the Premier League until Tuesday, when victory over Preston would see them go up.
More to follow.
Line-ups
Nottm Forest
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 30Samba
- 4Worrall
- 3Figueiredo
- 26mckennaSubstituted forS Cookat 75′minutes
- twoSpenceBooked at 21minsSubstituted forLaryeaat 79′minutes
- 22yachtsBooked at 60minsSubstituted forRibeiro Daysat 79′minutes
- 37garner
- 8colback
- elevenzinckernagel
- twentyJohnson
- 16Surridge
substitutes
- oneHorvath
- 14Laryea
- 17mighten
- 18Ribeiro Days
- 19Costa Silva
- 23lolly
- 27S Cook
West Brom
Formation 3-5-2
- 25Button
- 4O’Shea
- 5Bartley
- 16clarke
- twoFurlongBooked at 17mins
- twentyreach
- 8livermore
- 27MowattSubstituted forMolumbyat 54′minutes
- 3Townsend
- fifteenCarrollSubstituted forPhilipsat 74′minutesBooked at 86mins
- 18GrantSubstituted forGardner–Hickmanat 29′minutesBooked at 39mins
substitutes
- 6Ajayi
- 7Robinson
- 10Philips
- elevenDiangana
- 14Molumby
- 29Gardner–Hickman
- 36Palmer
- Referee:
- David Webb
- attendance:
- 28,926
LiveText
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Match ends, Nottingham Forest 4, West Bromwich Albion 0.
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Second Half ends, Nottingham Forest 4, West Bromwich Albion 0.
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Goal! Nottingham Forest 4, West Bromwich Albion 0. Sam Surridge (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from the center of the box to the high center of the goal. Assisted by Philip Zinckernagel with a through ball.
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Corner, Nottingham Forest. Granted by Matthew Clarke.
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Corner, Nottingham Forest. Granted by Conor Townsend.
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Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Dara O’Shea tries a through ball, but Taylor Gardner-Hickman is caught offside.
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Corner, Nottingham Forest. Granted by Matthew Clarke.
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Matt Phillips (West Bromwich Albion) is shown the yellow card.
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Attempt blocked. Philip Zinckernagel (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Brennan Johnson.
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Attempt saved. Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Cafu.
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Attempt blocked. Jack Colback (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from the center of the box is blocked.
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Corner, Nottingham Forest. Granted by Kyle Bartley.
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Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Cafu replaces Ryan Yates.
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Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Richie Laryea replaces Djed Spence.
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Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Steve Cook replaces Scott McKenna.
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Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Matt Phillips replaces Andy Carroll.
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Foul by Jack Colback (Nottingham Forest).
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Taylor Gardner-Hickman (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Philip Zinckernagel (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Ryan Yates.
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Attempt missed. Ryan Yates (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by James Garner.
Reference-www.bbc.co.uk