Nottingham Forest picked up a massive win in their hopes of securing a top six finish at the weekend, however this didn't stop Martin O'Neill from hitting back at their boo-boys after the game.

The Reds were not at their best against Swansea at the weekend, where they failed to create a host of chances in the opening 70 minutes of the encounter.

It was the Swans who made the breakthrough when Connor Roberts claimed to have got a touch on a deflected, long-range shot, however O'Neill's men fought back exceptionally well, with substitute Daryl Murphy netting a fine header.

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Molla Wague struck late on to secure a huge win for the Reds, however this didn't grab the headlines after the game. Following the substitution which saw top scorer and returning Lewis Grabban make way for Murphy, there were a chorus of boos from a section of the Forest fans.

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But the Irish striker certainly silenced those supporters, and after the game, O'Neill responded to the fans on BBC Radio Nottingham, insisting that his decision is final.

The Irishman said: "There has to be some sort of realisation here - I think I know the game pretty well, I think I know the players in terms of fitness. Grabban, for instance, hadn't played for seven weeks and hasn't done much training."

"Murphy, at least, will come on and he might not be everyone's favourite here at this minute because he hasn't got the pace or those particular things, but he is a physical presence and we don't possess that in this team."

"I think the fans have to realise that I'm the one in charge here, and I have a fairly decent knowledge of the players even though it's only my 12th game in charge."

After a massively important win at the City Ground, Forest now sit 9th in the Sky Bet Championship table, two points off the play-offs albeit with the teams above having a game in hand.

The Verdict

This really surprised me when listening to it on the radio, and it's the first time O'Neill has really responded to any criticism,

I thought his decision to take off Grabban was a smart move at the time - he has only just come back from a long-term injury so there is no point risking him with fatigue.

You know what you are going to get with Murphy. He is a physical striker who may not be the quickest, but he makes up for it in intelligence.