Johnson's polish puts shine on Forest

Nottingham Forest 2 Ipswich Town 1

Forest survived yet another late wobble, plus the injury-time dismissal of David Prutton, to cement their grip on third place in the First Division. Anything other than a victory, witnessed by Brian Clough on a rare visit, would have been a serious injustice to the club's incandescent striker, David Johnson, who lifted his goal tally to 20 with one in each half.

It was Johnson's first game against Ipswich since that club sold him to Forest two years ago for £3 million after he had scored 55 in 131 appearances for them. So poorly did he perform at Nottingham, however, that last season he was sent out on loan to Sheffield Wednesday and then Burnley as Forest struggled to pay wages and stay afloat.

Forest's manager, Paul Hart, called Johnson's success this season "a testament to his ability to change a career round". As Hart conceded, Johnson thought he was leaving the club last season "but got down to work in the summer and did it all by himself."

Ipswich's manager, Joe Royle, also paid tribute to Johnson for the way in which he underpinned Forest's win, but could not resist adding, "He must have thought Christmas had come early because both goals were gifts from us." The first, in the fifth minute, was a direct consequence of the wretched conditions.

Forest like to play their way through the opposition but on a day of drenching rain the big boot threatened to be just as effective. And Forest's keeper Darren Ward proved it by clutching a corner delivered by Jim Magilton and sending it far upfield, where Johnson got in behind Fabien Wilnis to unleash his shot a split second before colliding with Paul Gerrard.

If Royle regarded that as dereliction, he must be considering a court-martial against Jamie Clapham for Forest's second just after the hour. Clapham's misdirected pass went straight to the most dangerous man on the park who, suppressing his surprise, took a few strides before unleashing a stunning left-footer from 25 yards.

Magilton and Jack Lester became embroiled in a running feud which ended with the Forest player head-butting Magilton, an offence for which he was belatedly, and incorrectly, punished with only a yellow card.

After squandering his third opening of the match, Darren Bent was substituted by Pablo Couñago, and Royle made his permitted three changes in a bid to delete the deficit.

But Johnson's second drained much of the Ipswich confidence and, as Hart pointed out, it should have been 4-0 before it became 2-1.

With two minutes left Ipswich got the goal they deserved when Makin's cross was bundled into the net for an own-goal from the midfielder Gareth Williams.

There was more to come with the dismissal of Prutton, who had been cautioned in the first half for a foul on Magilton and in injury time went in on Chris Makin with a foot dangerously raised. The dismissal, technically for a second yellow, could easily have been a straight red.

As for rumours linking him with his old club, Leeds, Hart said, "Terry Venables is a good manager, he should be given a chance." But he left the door ajar with the comment, "It is a case of what will be, will be, and I am not a multi millionaire. Football is a fickle business and you have always got to keep your eye open. But we are doing pretty well here."

Nottingham Forest 2
Johnson 5, 63

Ipswich Town 1
Williams og 89

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 24,898