PREMIER LEAGUE: Awoniyi scores winning goal for Nottingham Forest against Aribo’s Southampton

Nottingham Forest recorded their first Premier League away victory of the season with a 1-0 win over Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium.

Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi scored the decisive goal for Steve Cooper's men in the 27th minute to condemn Southampton to six straight defeats.

The goal is Awoniyi's fourth in 16 games since joining Nottingham Forest last summer, three of which have been match-winning goals in 1-0 wins.

Southampton had the best of the opening exchanges but Che Adams fired a golden chance wide of the target in the game’s opening stages after being sent through on goal by Kyle Walker-Peters.

Steve Cooper’s men also came close to breaking the deadlock in the 12th minute when Brennan Johnson struck the bar with a close-range attempt following a lively counter-attack.

But the breakthrough would eventually come in the 27th minute when some sloppy play allowed Forest to break away, with Taiwo Awoniyi ultimately finding the net from six yards out.

Awoniyi nearly made it 2-0 just after the half-time break but the Nigerian striker fluffed his lines to spare the blushes of the Southampton defence who almost gifted him yet another goal.

Southampton looked to fast-track the search for an equaliser through a triple substitution in the 64th minute including another Super Eagles star, Joe Aribo. 

The Saints continued to dominate possession as the clock ticked down, but they ultimately struggled to turn their superiority into goals, which was evident by their failure to register any attempts on target.