3 things we clearly learnt about Nottingham Forest after their 2-1 FA Cup win v Huddersfield Town | OneFootball

The Terriers arrived at the City Ground unbeaten in 18 in all competitions and took an early lead through Tom Lees.

Steve Cooper will have been frustrated with how easily Lees attacked the ball at the near post and glanced in past Ethan Horvath, but the response was worth waiting for.

Sam Surridge was a nuisance up front on his full debut and was unfortunate to see a deft finish chalked off for offside after Brennan Johnson had threaded an inch-perfect low cross through the legs of Naby Sarr.

Surridge did eventually find the net and Ryan Yates nodded home to complete the turnaround before half time.

Here, we have taken a look at three things we clearly learnt about Forest after their 2-1 FA Cup win v Huddersfield Town…

Brennan Johnson is still improving

The sky is the limit with Brennan Johnson, he is certainly a player who should be playing European football at some point in the next few years.

In terms of the statistics he has not registered a goal or an assist in the game, but he tore the Terriers apart at times.

In the second half he contributed two exquisite shot assists, one a back heel and the other a pinpoint low cross, both were inexplicably missed from close range by Djed Spence and James Garner with a chance to put the scoreline beyond doubt.

Premier League clubs will be purring at Johnson’s performance and imagining where he would fit into their line-up next season.

Sam Surridge more than an adequate backup

Surridge was excellent in the first half against one of the meanest Championship defences since the turn of the year.

The former England youth international is behind Keinan Davis and, currently injured, Lewis Grabban in the pecking order at the City Ground, but he did his reputation no harm with a very encouraging first half display.

Surridge, who played briefly under Steve Cooper at Swansea City, signed in January from Stoke City and still has a lot of development ahead of him at 23.

Quiz: What town or city were these 20 Nottingham Forest players born in?

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Brennan Johnson

Peterborough Burton Derby Nottingham

Ryan Yates is no longer replaceable

Yates has been rotated with the likes of Philip Zinckernagel and Jack Colback at times this season, with two goals in his last two but also commanding displays in the middle of the park, Cooper is unlikely to put him on the bench in the near future.

It was Yates’ surging forward run that created space for Surridge’s cool finish to equalise and his progressive passing has come on significantly since Cooper took the reins.

It will be interesting to see what role he plays in Forest’s play-off push that is set to go right down to the wire.