Johnson's spectacular

Wimbledon 2 Nottingham Forest 3

David Johnson's 23rd goal of the season deep into injury time redeemed an untypically error-strewn afternoon for him and brought Forest their first win in seven matches to keep them very much alive in the promotion race.

According to Wimbledon's manager, Stuart Murdoch: "Forest are a very good team. They will be in the shake-up at the end of the season, without a doubt."

In fairness to Johnson, he took an early knock behind the knee in a collision with Wimbledon goalkeeper, Kelvin Davis and was reduced to half-pace until the second half. Perhaps this accounted for the four chances – not so much clear-cut as gaping gifts – which Johnson spurned before an acrobatic right-foot volley propelled the ball past Davis for a winner Forest deserved but had appeared yet again unlikely to seal.

Marlon Harewood had already bent one effort just too high and Andrew Reid, sent clear by Johnson, directed his shot too close to Davis before Forest scored twice in four minutes around the half-hour mark.

Receiving from a short free- kick, Matthieu Louis-Jean outpaced Nigel Reo-Coker before crossing to the near post, where Harewood knocked a comfortable header in off the woodwork. While Wimbledon were absorbing that blow, Harewood struck again. Gareth Williams, surging into the penalty area, headed forward to Harewood, whose angled shot took a crucial deflection and looped over Davis' head into the corner of the net.

The match should have been wrapped up by Forest in the minutes either side of the interval. First Johnson, alone in front of the net, lifted a bouncing ball over the bar and on the resumption was guilty of an even worse miss. Riccardo Scimeca contributed a fine run down the right, ending with a low cross with which the unmarked Johnson completely failed to connect at the far post.

Having been invited back into the match, Wimbledon accepted and just after the hour it was level. Their first goal owed everything to Gareth Ainsworth, who rode three tackles before laying on an inviting ball which Wayne Gray, on for the injured Neil Shipperley, tucked home.

Then some dithering in defence cost Forest a second goal. Patrick Agyemang was permitted time to get in a shot which rebounded from the base of a post straight to a grateful Damien Francis who gleefully stroked it home.

After yet another horrendous miss, Johnson saw Davis pull off a stupendous save to deny him in the 73rd minute. Though wrong-footed, the keeper got a hand to the ball, turning it for a corner. At once Chris Doig almost gave Wimbledon a third goal but Gray, collecting the ball from him, was denied by Darren Ward.

Just as it seemed Forest had thrown away two more points, Johnson spectacularly defeated Davis and a delighted Forest manager Paul Hart, shrugging off Friday's sale of David Prutton ("It was an offer the club couldn't refuse"), said: "We are starting to get our belief back."

Wimbledon 2
Gray 59, Francis 63

Nottingham Forest 3
Harewood 29, 32, Johnson 90

Half-time: 0-2 Attendance: 3,382