David Johnson snatched a last-gasp winner as Nottingham Forest clinched their first away win since early October against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park.

Wimbledon looked to have rescued a point after goals from Wayne Gray and Damien Francis in the space of four minutes cancelled out Marlon Harewood's first-half brace.

But Forest were not to be denied and Johnson volleyed home his 23rd goal of the season with virtually the last kick of the game in the third minute of injury-time.

It was cruel on Wimbledon boss Stuart Murdoch, who had made three changes to the side which lost in the FA Cup at Walsall last week.

Jermaine Darlington returned after illness while Gareth Ainsworth and Nigel Reo-Coker were promoted to the starting line-up.

Forest boss Paul Hart was also forced to alter his side after David Prutton's move to Southampton, with Mathieu Louis-Jean recovering from a hamstring injury in time to take his place.

Michael Dawson could have celebrated his new contract in style early on but his ambitious long-range effort was held by Kelvin Davis.

It was a rare sight of goal for either side in the opening stages, although Forest made the brighter start and Harewood curled a right-foot shot wide.

Davis was then called into action twice in the space of 30 seconds as Andrew Reid and Riccardo Scimeca both tested the Dons goalkeeper.

Wimbledon created little going forward and had to wait until the 22nd minute before managing their first goal attempt, when Mikele Leigertwood fired harmlessly wide.

Forest goalkeeper Darren Ward did well to block Neil Shipperley's effort before Reo-Coker shot wide but just as Wimbledon looked to be getting into the game, Harewood took over.

He broke the deadlock in the 29th minute when Louis-Jean crossed from the right and the 23-year-old nipped in front of his marker to flash a header past Davis and in off the post.

The hosts were still reeling from that setback when Harewood doubled Forest's lead with a looping volley which took a deflection and left Davis stranded.

Forest could have added to their advantage early in the second half when Harewood was fouled on the edge of the area by Mark Williams but Scimeca's curling free-kick was held by Davis.

Wimbledon's afternoon appeared to go from bad to worse in the 55th minute when former Forest striker Shipperley suffered an injury and had to be replaced by Gray.

But it proved a blessing in disguise as the 22-year-old had only been on the pitch four minutes when he pulled a goal back with a low right-foot shot after good work by Ainsworth.

And the fightback was complete four minutes later when Francis was left with a simple tap-in after Patrick Agyemang's shot came back off the post.

It was the fifth successive game in which Forest had been pegged back after taking the lead but they refused to settle for a draw.

Johnson - who had scored both goals in Forest's 2-0 win against the Dons in August - had twice gone close to a winner before he finally found his range with a right-foot volley as his 23rd goal of the season stole the points.

Teams

Wimbledon Davis, Leigertwood, Gier, Williams, Hawkins, Francis, Reo-Coker, Darlington (Andersen 81), Agyemang (Nowland 89), Shipperley (Gray 55), Ainsworth.

Subs Not Used: Tapp, Gore.

Goals: Gray 59, Francis 63.

Nottm Forest Ward, Louis-Jean, Dawson, Doig, Brennan, Williams, Scimeca, Thompson, Reid, Johnson, Harewood.

Subs Not Used: Hjelde, Roche, Bopp, Westcarr, Jess.

Goals: Harewood 29, 32, Johnson 90.

Att: 3,382

Ref: K Hill (Hertfordshire).