Ben Watson collapsed to the floor, arms and legs spread out like a starfish. The Nottingham Forest midfielder doesn’t score many goals, but he’d just made it two in as many home games.
Just as was the case against Barnsley last month, Watson’s strike secured a 1-0 win for the Reds at the City Ground - this time against Brentford.
On both occasions, the winner coming in the 56th minute, too.
Head coach Sabri Lamouchi refers to the 34-year-old as the “brains” of his team. But with his finish against the Bees, he also provided a touch of beauty.
It was a cracking strike by the former Watford man, hit on the volley after a corner had been beautifully cushioned into his path by Joe Worrall.
And it ensured Forest went into the international break on a 10-match unbeaten run in the league, sitting join-top in the table, level on points with West Bromwich Albion and separated by a goal difference of just one.
Lamouchi at the final whistle. He has to. He cannot risk complacency creeping into the dressing room. He’ll be well aware too, that there is a long, long way to go in this race.
But the Frenchman did have a wry smile when discussing Watson’s impact.
Censorship was required early on in Lamouchi’s reign after a particularly bad performance, when he used a certain four-letter word to describe his team’s display.
And he teasingly hinted he’d like to use it again, grinning as he said: “The two goals he has scored are not…. They are not bad goals.”
The manager has adapted to the English language and its boundaries almost as effortlessly as he has to English football.
And there are few players who have blossomed more under Lamouchi’s stewardship than Watson. He is a man transformed almost. Plenty of fans seem to have changed their opinion of him, too.
“He has scored two important goals for us (against Brentford and Barnsley), giving us six points,” said Lamouchi.
“They are important goals.
“He is a really important player for us for many reasons.
“I am really impressed with all the players. They are working hard and they deserve to be where they are.”
That hard work was certainly on show against Brentford. From front to back, the hosts put a real shift in.
They had to. The Bees are a good team. That they didn’t get too many chances to show that at the City Ground was in large part down to the effort put in by Forest.
Watson put in the type of performance which has typified his season so far, breaking up play and shielding the back four.
The partnership of Worrall and Chema - making his first Championship start - worked well, and Brice Samba was on hand when needed.
Going forward, the Reds created plenty too.
Matty Cash was superb at getting forward from right-back, while Tiago Silva and Joe Lolley also had their moments.
Cash had the visitors on the back foot with five minutes gone when a lightning-quick break saw him whip in a cross, with Lewis Grabban poised in the penalty area. But Pontus Jansson just managed to get to the ball first.
Goalkeeper David Raya thwarted what would have been a fabulous solo goal from Lolley just past the quarter hour mark, making a strong save after the winger had slalomed his way down the centre of the pitch and let fly from range.
Brentford had barely had a look-in up to that point, but slowly grew into the game.
Cash hacked the ball away from underneath his own crossbar when Sergi Canos drilled the ball across the face of goal, while Samba saved comfortably from Josh Dasilva.
Still, the Reds continued to cause problems at the other end of the pitch.
Silva claimed he should have had a penalty with 27 minutes gone, when Mathias Jensen clattered into him as the Portuguese looked to get on the end of Grabban’s pull-back.
Nothing was given by referee Dean Whitestone, but Silva almost managed to break the deadlock anyway, with a venomous, curling free-kick shortly after, which bent inches wide of the post.
Cash then dragged a shot wide as the interval neared and Watson saw one sail into the stand after being encouraged by the crowd to shoot from range. He got it right when it mattered, though.
Forest needed Samba to come to the rescue just before half-time, with the goalkeeper punching away Jensen’s deflected free-kick.
But having not been able to make the most of their chances in the first half, the Reds were able to put that right in the second.
Worrall’s cushioned header from a corner was sublime; Watson’s first-time shot even better. Not that you had chance to see quite what it meant to him as the midfielder was quickly buried under a pile of bodies in celebration.
Silva and Sammy Ameobi had chances to double that lead and ensure the Reds saw the game out in a little more comfort, but they didn’t really need it. Brentford didn’t have too much of a response.
The only negative of the afternoon was seeing with little more than 10 minutes to play, having picked up a hamstring problem.
Forest will hope it is not too serious.
They have built up some real momentum in the last few weeks, and there is the promise of much more to come.
Forest: Samba, Cash, Chema, Worrall, Ribeiro, Watson, Sow (Adomah 78), Lolley, Silva, Carvalho (Ameobi 65), Grabban (Mir 90+1). Subs not used: Muric, Figueiredo, Bostock, Robinson.
Brentford: Raya, Henry, Norgaard, Canos, Jensen (Karelis 76), Watkins, Dasilva (Mokotjo 63), Jansson, Mbeumo (Benrahma 63), Dalsgaard, Jeanvier. Subs not used: Daniels, Thompson, Pinnock, Clarke.
Attendance: 27,596 (1,005 away).
