With both sides fearing for their long-term Premier League status, there was an air of desperation about Southampton’s opening attacks, as they stood six points from safety at kick-off.
A win for the home side would extend that margin further, and they took advantage of their opponents’ early missed chances as the ghosts of Southampton’s past were reawakened.
Awoniyi’s last strike came in the reverse fixture at St Mary’s, and he combined with Brennan Johnson once again in devastating fashion. An exquisite diagonal ball from Danilo found the dynamic Johnson, who squared the ball for Awoniyi to drive it past Alex McCarthy.
The Nigerian striker had re-found his taste for goals against his favourite opposition, and it took just three minutes for lightning to strike twice, as Danilo took advantage of a fortunate bounce to poke it in the direction of Awoniyi, who volleyed in his second on the turn.
Carlos Alcaraz was on the end of Stuart Armstrong’s cross for a quick reply for the visitors, however, but that brief hint of a comeback was halted when Michael Oliver awarded Forest a penalty just before half-time.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles lost control of the ball and took down Johnson, and Morgan Gibbs-White dinked the resulting spot-kick down the middle.
The restoration of that two-goal margin was met with relief from Forest supporters, with Southampton failing to overturn a half-time deficit of that magnitude for over seven years, but stats like that were of little interest to Ruben Selles and his men, who rallied to slice the lead in half.
James Ward-Prowse’s whipped corner found the head of first-half substitute Lyanco, whose thumping header proved too hot to handle for Keylor Navas.
It looked as though Southampton were on the cusp of a famous comeback, but their momentum was destroyed by a late sucker punch from the home side.
Gibbs-White’s deft flick sent Johnson’s cross into the path of Danilo, who smashed in his third in as many matches.
That goal was just as well, as a late penalty for the away side was put away by Ward-Prowse, but it was too little too late for the south-coast side.
A first league double against the Saints for 27 years sees Forest leapfrog their competition into 16th, and they now hold a vital three-point cushion to the drop zone.
Southampton, meanwhile, must now win all of their three remaining games and hope for favourable results elsewhere, as they face the most difficult of tasks to remain in England’s top flight.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Danilo (Nottingham Forest)
