Ryan Yates was part of the squad that devastatingly missed out on the play-offs on the final day of the 2019/20 season. That chastening experience should stand the likes of Yates, Joe Worrall, Tobias Figueiredo, Brice Samba and more in good stead to keep believing this season.

After all, Steve Cooper has finished inside the top six on both of his previous seasons in Championship management, it has been a favourable run of fixtures but the gap is now just four points to sixth place.

Yates' relationship with Manchester United loanee James Garner has been crucial in building solid foundations for Brennan Johnson and Lewis Grabban to express themselves in attacking areas.

The Verdict

What better way to carry on the momentum clearly surrounding the squad at the moment than scoring twice in second half additional time. Lyle Taylor has struggled to get going since moving to Forest in the summer of 2020 but his match winning display should provide the belief required for the 31-year-old to push Lewis Grabban for a starting place up top.

Cooper inherited a squad with the talent to push for the top six but the instant turnaround has been remarkable. The underlying numbers suggest they are running a bit hot but you cannot measure how important a role the sky high confidence within the ranks at the moment can play.