Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi netted his second goal of the season but sustained a nasty injury as Nottingham Forest defeated Exeter on penalties to qualify for the fifth round of the FA Cup on Tuesday.
Nottingham Forest had previously secured a 2-0 win over Luton to advance to the fourth round, courtesy of goals from Ryan Yates and Ramon Sosa. Exeter, on the other hand, had beaten Oxford United 3-1 to reach this stage of the tournament.
The game started with Forest quickly seeking the opening goal, however it was Exeter who profited off their premier league opponents’ defensive error, scoring in the fifth minute through Josh Magennis’ strike. Nonetheless, Nottingham Forest quickly equalized, with Ramon Sosa scoring his second consecutive goal in the FA Cup just 10 minutes later.
With the score tied, Forest continued to push for the lead, and their efforts paid off in the 37th minute as Ibrahim Sangare’s pass found Taiwo Awoniyi, who skillfully controlled the ball before slotting it into the bottom left corner, giving Forest a halftime lead.
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Despite the setback, Exeter emerged from the halftime break with renewed vigor, driven to level the scoreline, and their persistence yielded results just five minutes into the second half as a second defensive calamity for the away side saw Willy Boly stick the ball past his own goalkeeper.
The match took a dramatic turn in the closing stages as Exeter’s Ed Turns received a straight red card for a reckless high challenge on Morgan Gibbs-White, reducing his team to ten men. Shortly after, Taiwo Awoniyi’s night came to a frustrating end, as he was forced off the pitch on a stretcher, having been on the receiving end of a brutal aerial collision.
After a thrilling, end-to-end 90 minutes, the match remained deadlocked, prompting extra time. With fatigue setting in, neither team could find a winner, and the game ultimately progressed to a penalty shootout which Nottingham Forest won 4-2.
Nottingham Forest’s hard-fought victory has set the stage for an exciting all-Premier League showdown against Ipswich Town in the FA Cup’s fifth round, scheduled to take place at the City Ground
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