'˜He is fantastic' - Sheffield Wednesday's hero goalkeeper Keiren Westwood lauded by Carlos Carvalhal

Nottingham Forests Ross McCormack has his penalty saved by Sheffield Wednesdays Keiren Westwood (Picture: Steve Ellis).

Goals from Almen Abdi and Fernando Forestieri either side of half-time secured the points, but Carvalhal singled out Westwood’s penalty save as a crucial factor.

The Wednesday goalkeeper kept out a 27th-minute spot-kick from Ross McCormack – albeit after himself bringing down Ben Brereton – and Abdi scored at the other end of the pitch barely 60 seconds later.

Forestieri made it 2-0 seven minutes after the break before Ben Osborn pulled one back on the hour mark, when Westwood’s resistance was beaten.

Carvalhal was delighted to notch up a fourth consecutive Championship win and said: “It was a difficult game, but we deserved the win.

“There were big moments in the game that were very important. One was when they missed the penalty and the other was when we scored a few minutes later.

“Even when Forest scored a goal, it was a mistake from us. We did not allow Forest to create too many chances, we were calm and the goalkeeper did not have too many saves to make.

“I have said in the past that a good goalkeeper is not one who has to make 20 saves in a game – because our opponents do not create many chances against us.

“A good goalkeeper is one who makes saves when he has to, when the team needs him to. Kieren is a fantastic goalkeeper and when the team needs him, he is there. It is important to have a good goalkeeper and he is one.”

Forest fans were furious that Westwood was not sent off for bringing down Brereton, but referee Andy Madley had been implementing the ‘double jeopardy’ rules introduced in the summer.

Reds boss Gary Brazil had no arguments with that, but still felt hard done by at seeing Wednesday score in the immediate aftermath.

“The rules say that he should not be sent off now, so there is no point in moaning about it,” he said.

“But it is critical moments in games that decide whether you take three points, so it was tough for us.”

Nottingham Forest: Smith, Lichaj, Worrall, Fox, Pinillos, Cash (Kasami 75), Vaughan, Osborn, Ward (Assombalonga 58), Brereton, McCormack (Carayol 58). Unused substitutes: Clough, Lam, Stojkovic, Ahmedhodzic.

Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Hunt, Sasso, Loovens, Pudil, Reach, Abdi (Wallace 75), Hutchinson, Bannan, Rhodes (Fletcher 82), Forestieri (Winnall 88). Unused substitutes: Wildsmith, Jones, McManaman, Palmer.

Referee: A Madley (West Yorkshire).