One winner and one loser following Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 victory v Peterborough | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest managed to get a huge win on the board yesterday afternoon, as they struck twice in the second half to the delight of home supporters at the City Ground.

Against one of the division’s relegation favourites in Peterborough United, they were frustrated for much of the game, but finally managed to make the breakthrough in the 74th minute when James Garner converted Brennan Johnson’s cross to grab his first goal of the season.

The Manchester United loanee also played a big part in the second, crossing for midfield partner Ryan Yates to seal the three points and take the Reds to 13th in the league table, as they look to put pressure on the top six.

Quiz: Has Lewis Grabban ever scored a goal for Nottingham Forest at each of these 26 stadiums?

Steve Cooper’s men were unbeaten in their last six matches prior to this clash against Darren Ferguson’s side, but had drawn five of those and were failing to turn these ties into victories, proving to be a real barrier to their progress in elevating themselves into a higher position.

This is a key problem Welshman Cooper identified as a real issue in his pre-match press conference, so he will be delighted with the three points as they find themselves just five points adrift of the play-off zone now.

Delving deeper into this match though, we take a look at one Forest winner and one loser from this weekend’s second-tier meeting in the East Midlands.

Winner: Braian Ojeda

Summer signing Ojeda was an unused substitute against West Brom in the previous fixture after playing the full 90 minutes against Luton Town in the game prior to that clash at The Hawthorns, with the Reds’ boss opting for a change in shape.

But he returned as the second-tier outfit reverted to a back four, coming in alongside Yates as he managed to get another 80 minutes under his belt, seemingly moving above the likes of Joao Carvalho and Cafu in the pecking order after adapting to life in England.

He put in a solid display in the middle of the park once again, building on a promising senior debut and staying composed on the ball.

This was crucial in his side’s victory after being frustrated for the majority of the match – and the exciting thing for yesterday’s home fans is the fact he’s only likely to get better with more minutes on the pitch.

Despite delivering the cross for the first goal, it was probably Lewis Grabban who claimed the assist with the ball bouncing off the 33-year-old before Garner finished the job.

That’s the least of his worries though, because he was singled out by some fans on social media as one underperformer on the day, with many even saying after their last match against the Baggies that he needs to be rested.

Those calls only grew louder today, with Alex Mighten a potential option off the bench Cooper could utilise if he wants to drop the Welsh international to the bench at some point.

Some have even labelled Mighten as not ready for the Championship yet, potentially making his spot safe, but Johnson may need to come out for a game or two to recharge his batteries and return to his previous form.

It’s sometimes hard to remember that he is only 20 years 0ld, so taking him away from the limelight at times could potentially be beneficial to his career as he looks to live up to the hype surrounding him after such a successful loan spell at Lincoln City last term.