Stefanos Tzimas enjoyed a crowning moment to cherish as Albion erased a bad memory.
Erased the memory? Their jubilant fans actually revived it with their song in reference to last term’s 7-0 mauling at Nottingham Forest and this 2-0 success by the Trent.
Tzimas’s late goal secured the points. But the huge triumph from a testing afternoon was a defensive one. A third clean sheet in four Premier League outings.
And a storm very much weathered as Forest poured men forward and rained in crosses and set-pieces.
This wasn’t the occasional threat of Crystal Palace or Leeds ahead of the recent international break.
It was sustained second-half pressure as the hosts flowed with urgency towards the Trent End. And Fabian Hurzeler’s men stood up to it magnificently.
The pay-off arrived in some style heading into seven added minutes as Brajan Gruda chased a weak back pass and Tzimas followed up to bundle home his first Prem goal.
It wasn’t seven but it was special.
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Albion looked fired up to atone for last year for the start.
A Georginio Rutter shot and soaring Diego Gomez header were cleared from right in front of goal and Mats Wieffer, to his obvious disappointment, angled an effort narrowly wide.
Albion’s shape and movement caused their hosts plenty of problems but they started to solve them and Morgan Gibbs-White volleyed narrowly wide before wasting a great chance to either shoot or pass when he found an alarming amount of space in the box.
It was the Seagulls, though, who struck in first-half added time and the goal was superbly created and finished.
After some more attractive build-up, Rutter threaded the ball into the box.
It was either just behind Danny Welbeck or the striker made a really clever dummy run. Maybe both.
But Max De Cuyper had found his way into the heart of the penalty area and he calmly clipped his finish past Matz Sels.
A stunning close-range save by Sels from Gomez denied Albion the comfort of a second goal midway through the second half and Verbruggen soon responded, using his boot to deny Igor Jesus.
But that was his one serious stop and Albion, who were still clearing crosses in added time, got the points and shut-out they deserved.
