Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo admitted he was wishing the minutes away at the end as Nottingham Forest hung on for a big 2-1 win away to Tottenham Hotspur.
The Reds had taken a two-goal lead with 16 minutes gone in the capital, courtesy of goals from Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood. But they came under plenty of pressure from their opponents and faced a nervy finale when Richarlison pulled one back for Spurs in the closing minutes.
Goalkeeper Matz Sels had already made some excellent saves to keep the hosts at bay and Harry Toffolo had chipped in with an outstanding goalline clearance. Victory took Forest back up to third in the Premier League table, after they had started the day in sixth place.
“The final minutes were full of anxiety and wishing the time to go faster. Tottenham had us against the ropes,” Nuno said.
“We are very proud of the way we competed. We reacted really well from the previous performances.
“The team competed well. We started well with the two goals and were dominant. Even without the ball, we tried to contain Tottenham.
“Even though they had chances, we had Matz and the clearance from Harry Toffolo. The spirit is about that. The way we compete is as a team.
“We wish that we could be more positive going forward in the second half, but you have to credit your opponent. When you are in front, the priority is to contain.
“You need all the togetherness you can have. We help each other in those situations.”
The Reds had gone into the game looking to bounce back from successive defeats. Losses to Aston Villa and Everton, coupled with results elsewhere over the weekend, had seen Nuno’s team drop down the table. But the result means Champions League qualification remains in their own hands with five matches to go.