The final minutes were sheer torture. Nerves shredded, blood pressure through the roof, nails bitten and hair pulled out.
Steve Cooper joked he had watched the closing stages through his fingers. He wouldn’t have been the only one.
Somehow, though, Nottingham Forest fans kept going - just as they had done all night. From an ear-bleedingly loud Mull of Kintyre (complete with a wall of flags), to a constant cacophony of noise, they just didn’t stop. And then suddenly, after what seemed like an age, all that nervous energy was converted into a great roar as the final whistle blew and Just Can’t Get Enough rang out.
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The City Ground was electric on Monday night. It was bouncing after the fourth goal went in and then rocking in the closing stages as the crowd helped drag Cooper’s side over the line against Southampton.
It was a dramatic, breathless, exhilarating night. A match which had it all. Tension, sublime goals, penalties, twists and turns and, once again, the kind of atmosphere which gives you goosebumps. All amid pouring rain.
Most importantly for the hosts, it also had a positive end result. And with that, they have their fate in their own hands.
At the double
Taiwo Awoniyi was sorely missed while he spent three months on the sidelines. That his injury came just as he was hitting his stride was a particular source of frustration.
The Reds look better for having him back in the side. And he was clinical in taking his chances against the Saints.
Awoniyi's touch can sometimes let him down and he can be a little clunky with the ball. But he can also be a nuisance for the opposition and looks like he is finding his sharpness again.
Two goals in the space of three-first half minutes took his tally for the season to seven. Had he not been ruled out for that spell, he would surely have reached double-figures. Forest will hope he can still push a little closer to that landmark in the remaining games, for that will only help their survival chances.
Awoniyi’s first was a confident finish. His second was a sumptuous volley on the turn. There is still more to come from the front man, but there is no doubt he is central to the way the Reds play.
Terrific trio
Any other other time, Awoniyi would have been a shoo-in for man of the match with his brace. He was certainly a contender anyway, but that others perhaps edged it ahead of him only goes to show how good some of the performances were.
In Danilo, Morgan Gibbs-White and Brennan Johnson, Forest have three incredibly bright young talents. Individually and collectively, they are capable of causing any team no end of problems. And when they link up as they did on Monday night, it is mouthwatering to watch.
The fourth goal was up there with one of the best the Reds have scored this season. The run, the cross, the flick, the finish. It was a goal dripping in Premier League quality - and it has done wonders for the club's chances of staying there.
After looking raw early on, Danilo has progressed immeasurably in the last few weeks. He is full of confidence right now and has joined Gibbs-White and Johnson in consistently being at the heart of Forest’s best play.
He’s going to be something special. He already is. And if Cooper can keep those three together (staying in the top-flight is likely to be a must for that), they have the potential to really do some damage as they all progress.
“I like it when we connect the way we did,” Cooper said. “They have the athleticism and the technique, but I like the freedom and the love of the game to go make a difference, because that’s what you want young players to be doing.”
Rock at the back
Like fellow Brazilian Danilo, Felipe arrived in January and could yet be a difference-maker in this season’s survival bid. Recruitment has been a mixed bag in the last two transfer windows, but those two are already proving an undoubted success.
Yet to have a bad game, the centre-back has been consistently excellent. Comfortable on the ball and able to bring it forward, he also throws himself into challenges and has the kind of robust defensive style which wins cheers with every tackle, interception and block made. He’s terrific at making all three of those, too - usually at vital times.
That side of his game he had quickly established. But on Monday night, he treated supporters to another. It was just a shame it didn’t count.
The touch and finish as he fired past Alex McCarthy was exquisite. The celebration, even better. It deserved more than being ruled out by a VAR check.
None of that is to gloss over that the hosts were a bit shaky at the back at times. Southampton really gave it a go and applied pressure. Set-pieces also remain something of an Achilles’ heel. But this was a night where the end result really mattered.
Survival hopes
Evangelos Marinakis, watching on in the stands, leapt out of his seat and punched the air. Cooper clenched his fists on the touchline. At the end, Serge Aurier yelled down the barrel of one of the TV cameras. Jesse Lingard, an unused substitute, ran on to the pitch. Giulian Biancone, only just back in the UK after doing his rehab for an ACL injury abroad, joined in the celebrations.
There is a unity among the squad which can count for a lot in this relegation battle. That the fans are a part of that too only enhances its effect.
Three points above the drop zone heading into the final three games, Forest have given themselves a fighting chance of staying up. There is still a long way to go, but recent performances have been positive and Monday night’s result was huge.
Don’t underestimate the pressure which was on that game. The stakes were high, but the players dealt with it well. Aurier took it upon himself to give a quick team talk after the Saints had brought it back to 3-2, while captain Ryan Yates led by example and Joe Worrall came on and did an excellent job at right-back/right wing-back.
The run-in is tough, particularly given the Reds’ record on the road. Nevertheless, this team has shown they are up for the challenge and ready for the fight.
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