- Reds move five points clear of seventh with victory over West Brom
- Johnson, Yates, Surridge and Colback wonder goal secures 4-0 win
Head Coach Steve Cooper named two changes to the side which lost 1-0 to Luton Town on Good Friday, with the injured Keinan Davis making way for Sam Surridge.
Philip Zinckernagel also replaced Lewis Grabban who missed out through illness, with Xande Silva and Steve Cook being named among the substitutes.
Inside the opening two minutes, a long ball picked out Surridge down the right channel but the striker was unable to pull a shot off by the byline.
West Brom’s first sight of goal came on five minutes when Karlan Grant cut inside from the left flank and saw a powerful low effort well blocked.
Joe Worrall dinked the ball over the top for Brennan Johnson who was sent away down the right, but his low cross was claimed by David Button with Surridge lurking at the far post. James Garner then tried his luck from distance but a curled a shot off target from 25 yards.
Garner tested his luck from range again in the 13th minute, but his free kick didn’t trouble Button as it sailed over the crossbar.
Darnell Furlong was the first player booked when the West Brom full-back fouled Zinckernagel as the Dane looked to break down the left channel.
The resulting delivery was dealt with, but Johnson stole possession away from Kyle Barrtley before clipping a dangerous cross towards the back post which was headed behind for a corner. From the corner, the ball fell for Djed Spence who fired over from distance.
In the 18th minute though, Albion were reduced to ten men as Forest were awarded a penalty.
The ball fell for Garner inside the penalty area who fired an effort goalwards, with Furlong handling the ball and being given his marching orders by referee David Webb.
Johnson stepped up from 12 yards and dispatched his effort low into Button’s bottom right corner for 1-0 and his 16th goal of the campaign.
Djed Spence became the first Forest player booked shortly after the goal for a foul on Townsend.
The Reds nearly made it 2-0 a couple of minutes later. Spence’s quick throw-in released Johnson down the right flank and the Welshman’s cut-back found Zinckernagel who saw a close-range effort deflect wide.
From Garner’s resulting corner, Forest did find a second goal as Ryan Yates rose highest to thunder a header beyond Button for 2-0 and his ninth goal of the season on 24 minutes.
The Reds continued to dominate as Johnson delivered a dangerous cross in from the right, but Surridge was unable to glance a shot goalwards.
Albion made their first change on the half hour as Grant made way for Taylor Gardner-Hickman.
In the 38th minute, Gardner-Hickman was shown a booking for a foul on Zinckernagel before kicking the ball into the home crowd.
After three minutes were added on at the end of an entertaining first half, Forest added an incredible third goal on the stroke of half-time.
From a throw-in down the left flank, Johnson played the ball back to Colback whose sensational left-footed volley by the touchline looped over Button and nestled into the far corner for 3-0.
Shortly after, Webb blew his whistle to mark the end of an enthralling opening 45 minutes on Trentside.
HALF-TIME: Forest 3-0 West Brom
The second half began with The Reds still on the front foot, with Yates shooting over from the edge of the area.
The Baggies made their second change when Jayson Molumby was introduced for Alex Mowatt in the 54th minute.
Yates was booked on the half hour for a foul on Reach on halfway. A couple of minutes later, following patient play around the Albion box, the midfielder fired just wide from Garner's lay-off.
With The Baggies camped inside their own penalty area, patient possession from Forest nearly resulted in another goal but Zinckernagel's curled effort was placed narrowly wide from 20 yards.
Colback won possession up the field before playing a one-two with Surridge inside the area, but his attempted pass back to the striker was cleared.
With 15 minutes remaining, Steve Cooper made his first change of the night as the returning Steve Cook replaced Scott McKenna to make his first appearance since the win over Reading in March. Andy Carroll then made way for Matt Phillips in Albion's final change of the evening.
On 79 minutes, Cooper made his final two changes with Yates and Spence making way for Cafu and Richie Laryea respectively, with the latter making his debut for the club after arriving from Toronto in January.
Colback saw a volley blocked from inside the area before Cafu found Johnson with a cute flick, but the latter powered an effort straight at Button.
Phillips was shown a yellow card after kicking the ball away, before three minutes were added on at the end of the second half.
Deep into stoppage time, The Reds made it 4-0. Zinckernagel slipped in Surridge who coolly fired into the roof of the net with a composed finish for his fourth goal of the season.
The full-time whistle blew shortly after to mark a return to winning ways for The Reds. The victory was Forest's 11th from 13 at The City Ground in 2022, taking Steve Cooper's side five points clear of seventh in the Championship table.
FULL-TIME: Forest 4-0 West Brom
MATCH STATISTICS
Nottingham Forest (3-4-1-2): Brice Samba; Joe Worrall (c), Tobias Figueiredo, Scott McKenna (Steve Cook 74’); Djed Spence (Richie Laryea 79’), Ryan Yates (Cafu 79’), James Garner, Jack Colback; Philip Zinckernagel; Brennan Johnson, Sam Surridge
Substitutes not used: Ethan Horvath (gk), Alex Mighten, Xande Silva, Joe Lolley
Goals: Johnson (p) (20’), Yates (23’), Colback (45+1’), (Surridge 90+3')
Bookings: Spence (21’), Yates (60’)
West Bromwich Albion (3-4-1-2): David Button; Dara O’Shea, Kyle Bartley (c), Matt Clarke; Darnell Furlong, Alex Mowatt (Jayson Molumby 54’), Jake Livermore, Conor Townsend; Adam Reach; Karlan Grant (Taylor Gardner-Hickman 29’), Andy Carroll (Matt Phillips 74’)
Substitutes not used: Alex Palmer (gk), Semi Ajayi, Callum Robinson, Grady Diangana
Bookings: Furlong (14’), Gardner-Hickman (39’), Phillips (86’)
Sent off: Furlong (18’)
Referee: David Webb
Attendance: 28,926 including 1,740 West Brom supporters
Possession: 70-30
Shots: 17-1
On target: 6-0
Corners: 8-0