Brennan Johnson will reap the rewards of Wales’ high-pressure, do-or-die semi-final play-off triumph over Austria even if his cameo lasted only six minutes, according to Wales manager Robert Page.
Johnson was reduced to only three minutes and added time in Wales’ rousing 2-1 World Cup semi-final victory over Austria in Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday night. Six minutes is little time to stamp one’s name on an already legendary match, but Johnson cuts as close as possible as he dragged a low searing effort just wide of the lower left corner in added time, which naturally inspired rambunctious purrs and bays from the Wales faithful.
The 20-year-old made his eighth appearance for his country, and before the match many Wales fans excitedly predicted the mayhem that Johnson could stir for his side having caught glimpses in the November window and considering his current role as Forest’s ever-present whirring attacker with fly-paper feet and an insatiable eye for goal.
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Johnson has 11 goals in the Championship, ranking 14th in the league, with eight of those goals arriving between November’s international break and last night. Johnson also boasts six assists, joint 18th with Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke.
Despite the Forest starlet’s habit of exploding onto big scenes, he has been forced to practise patience in the Wales squad as he shares a spot with Wales talisman and football legend Gareth Bale, who put one of the most memorable performances to date for the Welshman.
Still, Page assured that Johnson will get his time and that any minutes in such an environment will reap dividends on the player, particularly as Forest look to push for a play-off spot in an exacerbating tight race for top six. Past experience in pressure moments is something upon which to lean.
“For the likes of Brennan, that would probably be the most pressurised environment for him to come into and he still created a great chance and all bar a great save, he would’ve made the scoreline a little more comfortable for us. So people like Brennan will learn from experiences like those last night,” Page said.
“We were monitoring Gareth because he’s off the back of playing no competitive games, so of course we always have a Plan B, like him and Aaron and others that have not played that many minutes.
“But having seen Gareth play last night, albeit he was holding his groin for the last five minutes, but that was cramp, no tear or pull or anything. But if he had pulled up 10 or 15 minutes earlier then Brennan, yeah, the way he’s playing at Forest at the minute in the Championship scoring goals and creating chances, he would have been the replacement absolutely.”
Forest return to action next weekend when they take on Blackpool at Bloomfield Road in Saturday's early kick-off. A game in which Johnson will again be hoping to have a big impact.
