N Forest 4 – 0 W Brom

Nottingham Forest tightened their grip on a Championship play-off place with a 4-0 win over 10-man West Brom on Easter Monday.

Darnell Furlong’s early dismissal led to a real setback for the Baggies, and Brennan Johnson’s resulting penalty got the ball rolling, before Ryan Yates doubled their lead and then Jack Colback scored a screamer in first-half stoppage-time. Sam Surridge also netted a fourth with the final kick of the game.

It gives Forest a five-point gap over Millwall in seventh – with two games in hand – and keeps alive their slim chances of catching Bournemouth in second. There is a seven-point gap between the pair with five games to play, but they still have to face each other in their penultimate game of the season.

For West Brom, it was a damaging defeat that likely ended their slim play-off hopes. There are six points and six places now between themselves and the top six, with just three games left.

How Forest eased past 10-man West Brom

Any fears that Forest may have lost a little momentum after their defeat at Luton on Good Friday – ending a run of five straight wins – were quickly dispelled as they took the lead on 19 minutes.

Furlong, who had been booked minutes earlier for a foul on Philip Zinckernagel, was then sent off after a James Garner effort hit him on the arm in the box, before Johnson stepped up to role the bottom into the bottom corner.

After 23 minutes it was 2-0 as Garner’s corner found the head of Yates, who rose brilliantly to head in. There was some consternation amongst the West Brom players as they believed that Forest were wrongly awarded a throw-in in the build-up to the corner, but they still could have dealt far better with the resulting set-piece from a defensive perspective.

The moment of the half, however, came with Colback’s astonishing third. Whether he meant it or not is up for debate, but no one could argue with the quality of the hit, as his sensational volleyed effort from out wide on the left bent with vicious outside dip and swing that left David Button completely helpless in the Forest goal.

The second half, in truth, was a procession for Forest, as they preserved some energy for the battles that lie ahead. There was a late flurry, though, as Zinckernagel’s incisive pass found Surridge in the box, and he showed a clinical touch to find the roof of the net.

What’s next?

Both sides return to Sky Bet Championship action at 3pm on Saturday. Nottingham Forest head to Peterborough, while West Brom host Coventry.