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Same-again Albion get the job done at the Amex

Just Sussex By The Sea ringing out loud and clear from three sides of the Amex as Albion beat Nottingham Forest 2-1.

Fans and team as one, home players throwing themselves at shots and a victory to cheer.

The celebrations at full-time felt a bit more like relief than euphoria.

But goals from Diego Gomez and Danny Welbeck – as in the away win at Brentford – gave Albion the result they needed.

Their unchanged line-up, a rarity under Fabian Hurzeler, had a good shape and played some delightful football in tight areas at times.

And there was the added bonus of a brief outing for Solly March in the final stages.

Back-to-back wins have eased pressure and lifted the mood no end over the last nine days.

Albion can now tackle leaders Arsenal with some freedom on Wednesday.

Hurzeler had wanted a good start and his side scored twice in the first quarter-hour, albeit they also conceded one.

The same-again line-up also had same-again scorers as they looked to build on the win at Brentford.

Gomez cut across the ball with his right foot on just six minutes and sent home an exquisite finish from the right corner of the box after being nicely found by Pascal Gross.

His shot sent the ball across returning Forest keeper Matz Sels and inside the far post.

Morgan Gibbs-White replied from 25 yards with an equally well-struck right-footer, sent in an arc away from Bart Verbruggen’s grasp after Igor Jesus had got away too easily down the Forest left.

But celebrations in the South Stand had hardly died away when Kaoru Mitoma crossed deep and Jack Hinshelwood nodded the ball down for Welbeck.

The striker took a clever touch to ease the ball asway from defenders before hooking his finish pat Sels.

The lead should have been increased when Mitoma combined brilliantly with Welbeck and went clean through on goal but could not beat Sels, who later pushed away a Hinshelwood header.

Mitoma shot wide and Gross had a free-kick parried in an opening to the second half which could have seen Albion give themselves some insurance.

They didn’t - and Gibbs-White’s running for Forest was always a threat.

But spirit, discipline, endeavour and organisation remained intact, even as thy sat back late on and gave their fans a nervy finale.

Bodies were thrown at the ball in one desperate late melee which was chaos in the Albion penalty area.

Utter chaos – until Joel Veltman calmly chested a chipped pass by Gibbs-White back to Verbruggen.

Job done and a different feel around the Amex.

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