Nottingham Forest earned a 2-1 victory in their Championship play-off semi-final first leg against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds were value for their win having created plenty of scoring opportunities.
Goals either side of half time from Jack Colback and Brennan Johnson put Steve Cooper’s side 2-0 up, before a late Sander Berge goal pulled one back for the Blades.
Forest will be glad to take a victory back to the City Ground for Tuesday night’s second leg, but that late concession will be a frustration due to the timing of the moment.
Here are three things we learned about Cooper’s team following their 2-1 win over the Blades…
Missed chances could be costly
Despite going 2-0 in front in the 71st minute, the team will feel that they could have been ahead by three or four goals by half time.
Every time Forest won back the ball in the opening 45 minutes it felt like the Reds were going to create a gilt-edged chance.
But poor decision making and execution in the final third saw the team squander numerous opportunities.
Teams simply cannot afford to let their opposition away with that many warning signs. If the chances come, they must be taken at this level.
Better discipline needed to see out the game
That was evidenced by the atmosphere in Bramall Lane at full time following Berge’s late goal.
Suddenly, in one swift moment, United had the belief again that they could get their way back into this tie.
A 2-1 deficit can be overturned in the second leg, even if Forest have the comfort of home advantage.
The team needed to remain focused and see the game out in a professional manner.
Allowing United back into the tie in this manner could be the pivotal moment that defines both teams’ seasons.
No loss of momentum following Bournemouth loss
Of the four teams competing in the play-offs, Forest ended the season in the finest form.
Such was their winning run that they earned their way into the automatic promotion race.
But defeat to Bournemouth in their penultimate game, followed by a draw with Hull City last weekend, left many wondering if the team had peaked too early.
The performance at Bramall Lane will have proved many doubters wrong, with Cooper’s side showing no signs of fatigue or psychological scars.