PREMIER LEAGUE
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Super Eagles forward, Taiwo Awoniyi, secured a famous 1-0 win for Nottingham Forest yesterday as they beat West Ham in their first English Premier League football in 23 years at home.
Awoniyi who switched to Forest from Bundesliga’s Union Berlin for club record £17million transfer this summer was in the right place at the right time. He applied the first-time finish instinct after Jesse Lingard’s effort had been deflected into his path off Hammers defender Ben Johnson.
The home fans who were enjoying their first game in the topflight in over two decades greeted the goal with a frenzy. It was an acknowledgement of their summer import from Germany was a good buy.
Awoniyi’s name has now gone into Forest folklore along with all the other greats associated with the two-time European Cup winners.
The Sunday afternoon was not all about the Nigerian international because without the heroics of the on-loan Manchester United’s safe hands Dean Henderson, Forest’s valuable three points would have been impossible.
Henderson denied Declan Rice with a second-half penalty save amongst several other heroics of the day. He also produced a superb save at the start of the second half when Soucek was first to the loose ball after Pablo Fornals’ strike bounced off the bar.
Forest who responded to the warm reception by their fans tore into their opponents at a furious pace from the referee’s kick off. Moussa Niakhate and Awoniyi both threatened with headers, while Neco Williams drew a decent save from Lukasz Fabianski, who also had to palm away a goal-bound header from team-mate Soucek.
The backing kept Forest going on a blisteringly hot day – and the reward came in first-half stoppage time goal by the Nigerian.
Awoniyi spent six years as a Liverpool player without making a single first-team appearance, before moving to Union Berlin in 2021 and then, a year later, to Forest.
