Mali’s Abdoulaye Doucoure hails ‘perfect finish’ after sealing Everton win at Nottingham Forest

Abdoulaye Doucoure expressed delight after his decisive goal handed Everton a vital 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday.

The Maki international netted the only goal of the match late in the second half, capping off a disciplined team performance with a moment of individual quality.

The result was a crucial boost for David Moyes’ side, who controlled large portions of the game and created several chances before Doucoure finally broke the deadlock.

Reflecting on the performance, Doucoure said the team executed their tactics with precision.

“It feels amazing! We had a perfect game plan today and we played brilliantly. All the team worked hard. I think we deserved the win – we created so many chances.

“Obviously, I did well in the end in the last minute – I believed that I was going to score today. The ball arrived at the right time, it was the perfect ball and I made the perfect run. The finish was top as well!

“I love this club. I tried to play well. I met some kid before this week and he asked me to do a celebration if I scored, so that was for him.

“Sometimes you think you are going to score, I had that today. It was a top week for us. I think we dominated them from the first minute: we won the tough challenges, we controlled the ball, we created chances. I think we needed to score some goals, it came very late but I think everyone is going to take that win!”

The 32-year-old has three goals and one assist in 28 Premier League matches.