Blow to Forest's Champions League hopes with Brentford's 2-0 win
Brentford's Kevin Schade and Nottingham Forest's Ola Aina in action during the match in Nottingham. (PA/AP pic)
NOTTINGHAM : Nottingham Forest missed out on a chance to move into the top three in the Premier League, and strengthen hopes of a Champions League berth next season, as Brentford upset them 2-0 in their Premier League clash on Thursday.
Kevin Schade and Yoane Wissa both finished at the end of long clearances from deep in their own half to ensure a surprise away win that keeps alive keep Brentford's own ambitions of competing in European club competition next season.
Schade ran onto a long ball from Nathan Collins and took advantage of a defensive slip to open the scoring in the 44th minute while Wissa added the second in similar circumstances with 20 minutes left as he finished off goalkeeper Mark Flekken's long punt.
The result kept Forest in sixth place on 60 points while Brentford advanced to 49 points. They remained in 11th place but are now only two points behind eighth placed Fulham.
Hesitation in defence proved Forest's undoing with both goals simple in their set up but reliant on the home side's usually tight defence being caught cold.
Collins hit the ball some 60 yards up the pitch in search of Schade and, as Forest's usually reliable defender Nikola Milenkovic hesitated and fullback Ola Aina slipped, the German attacker took advantage to score.
The second goal came as Forest allowed Flekken's long kick to bounce though for Wissa to get goal side of Milenkovic and hold off the defender to score.
Brentford had made a bright start to the game and came close to an opener after 18 minutes when Mikkel Damsgaard's free kick found Sepp van den Berg, who had a free header on goal from close range but was denied as Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels palmed away the effort.
Forest, who lost in the FA Cup semi-final at the weekend, then dominated exchanges and put Brentford under pressure for the rest of the half but without creating any clear-cut chances, before being caught cold as Brentford netted just before the break.
As rain lashed down at the start of the second half, Forest went back onto the offensive with Anthony Elanga's 54th minute shot forcing a full stretch stop from Flekken while top scorer Chris Wood had his first chance of the game in the 64th minute but put his header well wide.
A top eight place might yet prove enough for a place in European competition next season and Thursday's result hands Brentford, who next play Manchester United at home on Sunday, renewed hopes after they won only two of their previous seven league outings.
Forest will qualify to compete in the Champions League if they finish in Premier League's top five. They last played in Europe's top club competition in 1980.
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