Super Eagles fullback Ola Aina made his 50th appearance for Nottingham Forest as they secured a hard-fought victory over Ipswich, advancing to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup after a penalty shootout win.
Nottingham Forest have been on a mission to claim their first FA Cup trophy since 1959, previously defeating Luton 2-0 and Exeter on penalties to reach the fifth round. Meanwhile, their opponents, Ipswich had secured victories against Bristol Rovers and Coventry before they were drawn against Forest.
The match began with Nottingham Forest dominating possession and almost scoring with Sangare’s early effort. However, Ipswich soon gained control although they could not create significant scoring opportunities as the first half ended goalless, with both teams struggling to find the back of the net.
The second half saw Ipswich break the deadlock in the 53rd minute, with George Hirst heading in from a corner kick to give the away side the lead. Nottingham Forest quickly equalized as Antony Elanga set up Ryan Yates who headed the ball into the back of the net to level the scoreline.
More Read
Nottingham Forest thought they had scored the winning goal when Ryan Yates found the net again, but his effort was ruled out for offside. After 90 minutes, neither team could score the winner, sending the match into extra time.
At extra time, both teams struggled with fatigue, but they continued to fight for a win. Nottingham Forest came close to scoring in the 23rd minute of extra time, but Jota Silva’s effort went wide.
With the score still tied after extra time, the match went to a penalty shootout. Nottingham Forest’s players, including Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson, Neco Williams, and Callum Hudson-Odoi, all scored their penalties while Goalkeeper Mats Sels made the decisive save, denying Jack Taylor’s effort and securing the home team’s spot in the quarterfinals.
With the hard-fought win, Nottingham Forest advances to the quarterfinals, where they will face Brighton, marking a significant step in their journey to win a major trophy for the first time since 1990 under head coach Nuno Espírito Santo.
© Bold Media Innovations & Creative Hub Limited. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
