Sean Dyche reveals Taiwo Awoniyi chat as Nottingham Forest striker claims crucial goal vs Brentford

Sean Dyche reveals Taiwo Awoniyi chat as Nottingham Forest striker claims crucial goal vs Brentford

Sean Dyche praised the influence of his forward players after Nottingham Forest secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Goals from Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi ensured the Reds extended their unbeaten run to three Premier League matches and moved five points clear of the relegation zone as the fight for survival intensifies.

Jesus continued his positive form by scoring his second Premier League goal with a clever first touch and composed finish in the first half.

Awoniyi then sealed the win, netting his first league goal in over a year following a long recovery from a serious abdominal injury sustained in a collision with a goalpost late last season.

Dyche was especially pleased for Awoniyi, highlighting the striker’s work rate and recent progress in training. “I’m absolutely buzzing for him,” Dyche said. “He’s been working hard for us and trained really well this past week. I had a quiet word with him, nothing too deep, just reminding him to play freely. You could see that when he came on. He put in a big shift and finished his chance brilliantly.”

The Forest boss explained he has deliberately avoided revisiting Awoniyi’s injury, instead focusing on helping the forward enjoy his football again while maintaining professional standards. “It’s about what I call professional enjoyment,” Dyche added. “You still have responsibility, but you need to feel free out there. He had a quieter spell recently, but he’s come through it and looks sharper again. I had no hesitation in bringing him on.”

Dyche also reserved praise for Jesus, who has been pushing for a goal with his consistent effort. “I’m delighted for Igor too,” he said. “He’s been knocking on the door and working extremely hard. He got his reward with some good play and a really nice finish.”

The Forest head coach stressed the importance of maintaining the right mindset within the squad following the result. “We want everyone pulling in the same direction,” he added. “That’s something we reinforced after the game.”

The victory came shortly after Forest strengthened their attacking options with the arrival of Italian striker Lorenzo Lucca, who joined on loan from Napoli for the remainder of the season. Dyche acknowledged that competition can often bring the best out of players.

“That’s football,” he said. “You bring in another striker and suddenly your strikers start scoring. Sometimes that’s just how it works. Competition can lift standards, even subconsciously. Bringing in fresh faces often gives others a spark, although I don’t think they needed it in this case.”