In a match featuring three Nigerian players, Taiwo Awoniyi came off the bench to open his goalscoring account for the season, helping Nottingham Forest secure a 2–0 victory over Brentford in their Premier League Round 23 clash at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday evening.

Nigeria target Michael Kayode started for the Bees, Ola Aina played the full ninety minutes for the visitors, while Taiwo Awoniyi came off the bench with 22 minutes remaining.

Nottingham Forest took an early lead in the 12th minute as Igor Jesus capitalised on a perfectly timed long pass, broke through Brentford’s defence and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner past Caoimhin Kelleher.

The early goal set the tone for the visitors, who dominated large spells of the first half. 

Despite Brentford creating a few chances through Igor Thiago and Sepp van den Berg, the home side struggled to convert, with several efforts blocked or narrowly missing the target. 

Injuries to key players, including Kristoffer Ajer and Mikkel Damsgaard, forced Brentford into early substitutions, further hampering their rhythm.

In the second half, Brentford pushed forward in search of an equaliser, with Mathias Jensen and Dango Ouattara testing Nottingham's defence from set-pieces. 

However, it was Awoniyi who made the difference. Coming on as a substitute, the forward produced a brilliant individual effort in the 79th minute, weaving past defenders before firing a precise strike into the bottom left corner to double Forest's lead. 

The goal proved decisive, sealing a well-earned three points for Nottingham Forest. 

Wale Adejumo