Nottingham Forest 2-3 Brentford: Lasse Vibe nets twice as Bees hold on

Lasse Vibe scored twice as Brentford brought Nottingham Forest crashing back down to earth with a 3-2 win at the City Ground.

Hopes were high amongst the home faithful following their 3-0 victory over Brighton three days earlier, but the Reds looked a pale shadow of the team that comprehensively sunk the Seagulls and the classy Jota's third goal sealed their fate and re-ignited their relegation fears.

Subs Ben Brereton reduced the arrears late on and Zach Clough added a second in injury-time, but the Bees held on for the points.

Young Forest keeper Jordan Smith came to the rescue inside two minutes as he got down low to his left to smartly save from Vibe after he was put through by Sergi Canos.

Canos was being afforded far too much space in the centre of the pitch and he let loose again from 25 yards, this time his effort scraping Smith's right-hand upright.

Forest responded and Britt Assombalonga forced Daniel Bentley into a diving save in what was a lively first quarter of an hour.

After a Forest corner came to nothing, the Bees countered with pace and Jota found Vibe in space just inside the hosts' box and took a stride before unleashing a shot into the far corner to take a 17th-minute lead.

Some careless defending by Forest on the edge of their penalty area let in Jota for another effort and he had Smith sprawling across his goal as the ball crashed into the side netting.

Forest threw everything they had at the Londoners for the rest of the half, but could not fashion any clear-cut chances, although that changed at the start of the second period as Ben Osborn went on a mazy run, beating three players inside the Brentford box, before firing in a shot that Bentley saved with his legs.

Brentford were continuing to defend deep and attack on the counter, and they added a second after 55 minutes when another Forest foray broke down. Canos broke clear, beat the challenge of Joe Worrall and squared for Vibe, who lobbed the ball over Smith and into the empty net.

Forest boss Gary Brazil brought on Clough, Brereton and Ross McCormack, but it did little to change the hosts' fortunes as the visitors proceeded to add a third. They broke at speed, with Vibe the provider this time, sending Jota clear and he charged into the box, drilling a low shot into the bottom corner.

The home crowd finally had something to shout about eight minutes from time when Eric Lichaj's shot was parried by Bentley and young Brereton was on hand to tap the ball home from a yard out.

Deep into injury-time, Forest pulled another one back when Clough headed in Osborn's flick, but they had no time to find an equaliser.

Nottingham Forest boss Gary Brazil:

"We had a gameplan, but no energy. They are a good side and if you give them room, they can play like they showed tonight. The goals we were really disappointing to concede - both goals in the second half came from our attacks on the edge of their box. That's what not I expect from players at this level.

Brentford boss Dean Smith:

"I thought we controlled the first half, but we let them have too much of the ball in the second. But with the likes of Jota, [Sergi] Canos and Vibe, we were always a threat on the counter-attack.

"It showed that with the first and third goals. Breaking at pace is what we have become known for, but some of our football was very good as well."