After a 1-1 draw at the City Ground on Monday, Nottingham Forest needed penalties to defeat Ipswich and secure a spot in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
After a 1-1 draw at the City Ground on Monday, Nottingham Forest needed penalties to defeat Ipswich and secure a spot in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
Only Jack Taylor missed a penalty kick as Forest won the shootout 5–4 thanks to a save from Matz Sels, securing a trip to Brighton for the round of eight.
Although the teams are separated by 15 spots and 31 points in the Premier League, Nuno Espirito Santo rested some of his star players because Forest’s first aim is to qualify for the Champions League the next season.
George Hirst headed in a corner at the back post to give Ipswich the lead early in the second half after the team recognized their opportunity.
22 minutes from the end, Ryan Yates nodded in an equalizer after some terrible defense. Nuno substituted England international Morgan Gibbs-White and leading scorer Chris Wood, but a further half hour of extra time passed without a winner.
But when the first nine penalties of the shootout found the net, Sels—another of Forest’s standout players this season—proved to be the hero.
“One of the goalkeepers will be the hero in penalties,” Sels remarked. “I’m glad I could support the team in moving on to the next phase. I was in the right corner, and it was the only penalty I received.
Leave a Reply