Nottingham Forest 5-1 Swansea City (EFL Championship) 30.04.22

Nottingham Forest edged nearer a step nearer to their impossible dream of Premier League promotion with a comprehensive victory over Swansea City at a sun blessed, packed and electric City Ground to wrap up the Reds last home game of the league season in style.

Forest took the lead on 22 minutes when Cyrus Christie seemed to bundle the ball over the line following pressure by Jack Colback after some impeccable work down the right by Djed Spence. The former Forest full back was initially adjudged to have handled the ball to stop it going in and was red carded by the referee before being overruled by the fourth official to downgrade the caution to a yellow and instead give the goal.

Swansea hit back soon after when a long ball through the middle was taken down well by Michael Obafemi who coolly slotted past Samba.

The Reds should have taken the lead when a corner found former Swan Sam Surridge who’s header rocketed off the crossbar, in recycling possession, Brennan Johnson then chipped in to Ryan Yates who’s header down was brilliantly saved by Fisher.

It was tense for Reds supporters at half time, in knowing Bournemouth were leading at Blackburn, but just three minutes into the second half, Forest eased that feeling of pressure by re-taking the lead, Sam Surridge heading home unmarked from a corner his sixth Garibaldi goal since signing from Stoke City.

On 52 Surridge got his second of the game, a seemingly trademark finish, curling into the far corner when put through by Garner on the counter-attack, the former Bournemoth striker then got his hat-trick on 69, volleying home from close range his first senior treble since the days of Poole Town, a player hot on form as he looks to lead the line against the Cherries on Tuesday night.

Substitute Alex Mighten made it five late on, running through to get on the end of a long Brice Samba clearance, Forest now know that two wins would put them in the driving seat for automatic promotion, beating Bournemouth on Tuesday in a Championship style Cup Final itself, would give them huge opportunity to step nearer to the dizzy dream of mission impossible.

Nottingham Forest: Samba, Worrall, Cook, McKenna, Spence, Yates, Garner, Colback (Laryea 83), Zinckernagel (Lolley 70), Johnson, Surridge (Mighten 76).

Swansea City: Fisher, Latibeaudiere, Congreve (Paterson 57), Naughton, Manning (Ntcham 57), Downes, Grimes, Christie, Piroe (Fulton 78), Wolf, Obafemi.

Venue: City Ground

*Main image @NFFC Sam Surridge scores a hat-trick against his old club.