DANNY WELBECK scored his 10th goal of the season and made another case to be called up by England later this month
The Brighton striker fired what proved the winner with all three goals scored in a frantic opening 15 minutes.
And it also kept Forest sweating in their fight against relegation.
Diego Gomez swept the Seagulls into a sixth-minute lead with a solo effort but a Morgan Gibbs-White rocket levelled things six minutes later before Welbeck’s strike.
With West Ham getting a 5-2 spanking at Anfield, this game provided a huge chance for Nottingham Forest to pull clear of the bottom three.
And Omari Hutchinson had an early chance when a shooting chance opened up for him — but his angled effort was kept out by Bart Verbruggen.
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But they found themselves behind after just five minutes.
A move between Welbeck and Gomez looked to have broken down.
But Neco Williams could only stab the ball back to Gomez, who fired a wonderful strike past Matz Sels.
Yet, within nine minutes, Forest were back on terms.
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Igor Jesus was able to gallop free down the left and he centred the ball to Gibbs-White.
And the Forest star hammered an absolute bullet past Verbruggen.
However, in a crazy start to the game, Brighton were back in front within two minutes.
Jack Hinshelwood headed a Kaoru Mitoma free-kick into the box where Welbeck struck a lovely shot past the Forest keeper.
Brighton were cutting Forest open at will.
Mitoma played a one-two with Welbeck to run clear on goal but Sels did well to block his shot.
Mats Wieffer was played in by Gomez and charged forward before firing a tame effort from the edge of the box.
Welbeck’s eyes opened up when the ball fell to him just outside the box but dragged his shot wide.
Elliot Anderson was booked for going down as Gomez swung into a hack at the ball. It was clear dive though.
Sels needed some treatment but was fit to continue.
And the Forest keeper made a superb save to keep out Hinshelwood’s stooping header from a wonderfully-flighted cross from Paul Van Hecke.
The corner was cleared and there was a threat of a counter as James Milner gave the ball away. But he then gave chase to win it back.
Forest though almost scored when a superb pass from Ola Aina sent Callum Hudson-Odoi skipping inside Wieffer.
But his goalbound shot was diverted over by a great block from Van Hecke.
Brighton started strongly after the break and Mitoma fired wide from inside the box.
Forest though missed a great chance to get back into the game.
Gibbs-White raced clear down the right but his low ball across the box evaded Hudson-Odoi.
Pascal Gross almost caught out Sels as he powered a low shot from a quick short Milner free-kick.
The Forest keeper managed to scamper over to block a low shot into the bottom left corner.
Boss Vitor Pereira made a double switch — bringing off Hutchinson and Williams for Jair Cunha and Luca Netz.
Aina teed up Gibbs-White, who saw his shot blocked from just inside the box, before laying a pass back for Ibrahim Sangare but his shot was deflected and kept out by Verbruggen.
Brighton cut through Forest from their own third with some great passing before the ball was spread to the edge of the box but Wieffer and Gomez both saw shots charged down.
Forest though hit Brighton on the break.
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Gibbs-White charged forward down the middle before releasing Hudson-Odoi on the right,
He laid a ball on for Anderson, who lacked composure on the edge of the box as he blasted it sky high.
Wieffer went down injured and was replaced at right back by Joel Veltman.
They were now operating with a back three to give Aina more freedom to attack.
And he was involved in a move that saw Gibbs-White head tamely straight at Verbruggen.
Forest brought on Dilane Bakwa for Hudson-Odoi — and then made a double change by taking off Jesus and Aina and replacing them with Dan Ndoye and Taiwo Awoniyi.
Forest missed a huge chance when Anderson’s free-kick from the right was headed wide by Awoniyi. He should have buried it.