Ending a seven-match losing streak in the league on the road can be a timely confidence boost for Nottingham Forest.
Head coach Steve Cooper wants his side to take encouragement from their 2-2 draw at Chelsea as they prepare for their decisive final two games. Taiwo Awoniyi’s brace clinched the point for the Reds at Stamford Bridge, with his second coming after the hosts had come from behind to lead.
Forest have struggled on their travels all season and still have one, potentially crucial, away game to come when they go to Crystal Palace on the final day. They host Arsenal before then, but if the relegation battle does go to the wire Cooper’s men will at least have a positive recent result to draw upon when they go to Selhurst Park.
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"Hopefully we can take confidence from it for when Crystal Palace comes around,” Cooper said. “Like always, we want to take anything that was good in the game and build on it, while at the same time look at the stuff we should do better at.
"Mentality wise, if we're talking about the away games - where results have been nowhere near good enough - I've never had to question the desire and commitment. Players have never given up.
"The away form is the away form, and I talk openly about it because that's who we are as a group. But I've never had to question the resilience, the desire, the commitment, the attitude, that part of the mentality. At times, maybe a little bit of belief and concentration and probably a bit of confidence away from home; that's why we've had what we've had.
"It was good, after going 2-1 down, to get something out of the game. I don't think many people would have backed us to get anything, so the fact we got something - albeit we would have liked a bit more - is a positive.
"Regardless of when you play Chelsea, it is Chelsea. You see their squad and the changes they could make. It was at Stamford Bridge, and we've been what we've been away from home. It's a point that could be valuable, but we've got to make it that.
“For the guys to recover as they did, we should be satisfied with that. But we also need to have the mentality of how we improve.
"The collective is the key for us. It's been brilliant all season, that. For us to have the spirit we have is great credit to the guys. What we've backed that up with this time is good concentration and good belief. Away from home, that's something - on the mentality side - we've not had. It's never been down to a lack of want, will or desire.
"Everyone talks about our support at home, and rightly so because of the atmosphere that is generated there. But it's been equally as good away from home, so for them to get something - albeit not a win - the fans deserve that.”
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