The Football Pink

In front of 17,108 at the Gtech, this was not a Halloween thriller. There were 13 shots in the first half and not one on target. Brentford still had the lead at the break, because Nikola Milenković had scored for them.

By the end, the Forest defender had an own goal, a yellow card and a deflection on Brentford's second to his name. Igor Thiago's scuffed finish 14 minutes from time settled a 2-0 win that keeps Keith Andrews' side in the top six, and leaves Oliver Glasner's Forest in 19th with six points from nine games.

Forest start brighter

Forest started on the front foot. Morgan Gibbs-White's shot from the edge of the box was deflected wide, and from the resulting pressure Neco Williams whipped in a lovely delivery that Jair Cunha couldn't get his feet sorted for. James McAtee was given all the time in the world on the edge of the area and drilled a low shot inches wide.

Brentford's best moments were half-chances. Mamadou Sangaré caught a volley cleanly from a cleared corner and whipped it just over the bar. Liam Delap, at the other end, swivelled for a half-volley and sent it into the stands. Thiago and Delap had one league goal each all season, and it showed.

The goal that never reached Thiago

The breakthrough came on 30 minutes, and it started with the goalkeeper. Caoimhín Kelleher sent a brilliant diagonal ball out to Dango Ouattara, who waltzed past Murillo and fizzed it across the six-yard box. Thiago was waiting, unmarked. He never got a touch. The ball came off Milenković's boot and looped over a wrong-footed Matz Sels.

Nobody in the ground seemed quite sure what had happened, the stadium announcer included.

A goal for Brentford. I don't know who scored. Who cares?

Peter Gilham, Brentford stadium announcer (reported by The Independent)

Things nearly got worse for him straight away. Kevin Schade nutmegged him moments later and Milenković had to drag him back, somehow escaping a booking. Two minutes after that he wasn't so lucky. He clipped Schade right on the edge of his own box, half a second from giving away a penalty, and went into the book. Mathias Jensen curled the free-kick against the crossbar.

Glasner rolls the dice

Glasner made a double change at the break. Ryan Yates, making his first appearance of the season, came on for Xaver Schlager and took the armband off Gibbs-White, and Dan Muñoz replaced Ola Aina. Ten minutes into the half came Forest's best chance of the game. Gibbs-White crossed, Yates timed his run across Michael Kayode perfectly, and from four yards he headed over.

An hour went by with still no shot on target from either side. Chris Wood and Arnaud Kalimuendo came on for Delap and Dan Ndoye, Muñoz was booked for clipping Schade's heels, and Kayode was booked for arguing. Glasner was animated on the touchline. Then Thiago, who still hasn't found his touch in front of goal, was the one standing on his own line heading a Forest effort clear.

Thiago gets lucky

The second came on 76 minutes. Substitute Jaidon Anthony surged down the right and squared it for Thiago, whose shot took a deflection off, inevitably, Milenković on its way in. It was not the prettiest finish. He won't care.

It means a lot to me. I was waiting for this goal for so long this season. Thank you Lord, to score one more goal at home. I am really happy.

Igor Thiago, Brentford striker, to Premier League Productions

Forest had nothing left. They had taken 14 shots before they finally hit the target, a weak McAtee effort on 79 minutes that Kelleher gathered easily. McAtee was booked for dragging back Schade, the latest in a long line of Forest players to stop him by any means, and Schade made way for Callum Wilson. In the closing minutes the Brentford players wanted a second yellow for Milenković after he pulled back Thiago in the centre circle, then did the same thing again. Darren England kept his cards in his pocket.

Forest finished with more shots and more of the ball, but they committed 17 fouls to six and never seriously troubled Kelleher. Their own supporters booed them off. It is four games without a win now, and Glasner's side are sinking.

"I will change a few things, 100%"

Glasner did not hide from it. Kelleher's long diagonal for the opener was, by his count, the fourth goal Forest have conceded from a goalkeeper's long ball. They have now failed to score in five of their nine league games, more than any other side, despite out-creating their opponents on expected goals in seven of them.

Very frustrating. It's the same story as every week but if things always happen in the same way there's a kind of pattern. Today is completely clear, we have to change something, a few things. I have to change a few things and I will change a few things, 100%.

Oliver Glasner, Nottingham Forest manager, to BBC Match of the Day

We are making too many mistakes in our defence and we were not ruthless enough, good enough in finishing. That's the truth.

Oliver Glasner

He went further, warning his players that anyone who will not follow the new way should expect that "the sixth manager will come in".

For Brentford, there was nothing pretty about it, in the 100th Premier League game at the Gtech. There didn't need to be. It ended a four-match winless run, and they are up to 14 points and sixth.

Andrews rated it highly all the same.

We have had some good wins this season and that is right up there. The way the opposition set up, they were difficult to break down, we had to stay patient, not get frustrated and we had to nullify their key players.

Keith Andrews, Brentford head coach, to BBC Match of the Day

We are growing. There's always going to be ups and downs. You analyse every single minute of every single game and if you step away and look what we have achieved so far this season I think on that side we are growing and showing a level of maturity, level of streetwise.

Keith Andrews

The change is there today. We fight, we did what Keith told us to do and we got the three points.

Igor Thiago