Nottingham Forest 4-0 West Bromwich Albion: Steve Cooper's Reds win to delay Fulham promotion

Free-scoring Nottingham Forest have averaged almost three goals per game at home in the league in 2022

Nottingham Forest further consolidated their place in the Championship play-offs as they beat West Bromwich Albion to make leaders Fulham wait for confirmation of their promotion.

Substitute Sam Surridge added a late fourth on a night when Albion's own slim promotion hopes surely came to an end.

With just three games left, 12th-placed Albion trail sixth-placed Sheffield United by six points - and have five other clubs better placed ahead of them in pursuit of what looks like one remaining play-off place.

Forest, who still have five games left, including a trip to second-placed Bournemouth in early May, are looking upwards, knowing that they still have a chance of automatic promotion despite their Friday slip-up at Luton.

Their eighth win in nine home league games since the turn of the year also means that Fulham cannot confirm their promotion to the Premier League until Tuesday, when victory over Ryan Lowe's Preston would take them back up.

David Webb's decision to award a first-half penalty and send off Albion defender Darnell Furlong for handball had a major say on the outcome

After an Easter weekend which began badly at Kenilworth Road, then worsened with reports that on-loan Aston Villa striker Keinan Davis might be ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, Forest could be forgiven for thinking their luck was right out.

At Luton they lost to a debatable penalty, had a perfectly legitimate second-half equaliser chalked off and hit the woodwork. But they more than made up for it as the ball began bouncing their way in a one-sided first half at a bouncing City Ground.

The game first hinged on Forest's opener from the penalty spot.

Furlong, booked just three minutes earlier for a daft, needless late challenge on Philip Zinckernagel, was lying prone on the ground when James Garner's shot hit his arm. But referee David Webb decided that it was deliberate handball, sent off Furlong and awarded Forest a penalty.

Johnson struck it powerfully low into the left corner, beating Baggies keeper David Button's despairing dive. And, just four minutes later, Forest had a second goal when the officials unquestionably made a mistake.

They awarded a throw-in the wrong way, and Albion's defence, caught badly wrongfooted, were panicked into conceding the corner from which Yates headed home - from Garner's right-wing flag-kick - to double the home lead.

Then came Forest's biggest slice of good fortune on the stroke of half-time when Colback tried to launch a first-time delivery from the left touchline and could barely disguise his amusement when it sliced wickedly off the outside of his left boot to dip over the bamboozled Button.

With the game won and Albion's spirited 10 men left running on fumes, Forest could have won by more but they could manage just a very late fourth, when Surridge powered forward to drive home a low shot for his fourth goal for the club.