Nottingham Forest vs Ipswich FA Cup Report

Scorers: Yates 68’; Hirst 53’

Penalties scored: Wood, Gibbs-White, Anderson, Williams, Hudson-Odoi; Morsy, Delap, Cajuste, Johnson

Penalty missed: Taylor

Nottingham Forest secured a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Ipswich Town. George Hirst gave the Tractor Boys a second-half lead before Ryan Yates equalised for Forest. After nine flawless penalties, Jack Taylor’s effort was saved by Matz Sels, sending the City Ground into celebration.

Sels’ Crucial Save Sends Forest Through to Face Brighton

Nottingham Forest will now face Brighton in the FA Cup quarter-finals, thanks to Sels’ decisive save that ended Ipswich’s cup journey. With the score locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time, the penalty shootout saw nine successive conversions before Taylor’s decisive miss.

The Ipswich midfielder, who had already missed a penalty against AFC Wimbledon earlier this season, saw his effort denied by Sels, sparking wild celebrations among the home fans.

Forest will now travel to the Amex Stadium for their last-eight tie against Brighton on the weekend of 29th-30th March.

Forest Struggle Before Second-Half Revival

The match was a slow burner following an action-packed FA Cup fifth round weekend. Nuno Espirito Santo opted to start without attacking stars Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White, resulting in Forest failing to register a shot on target in the first half.

Ipswich, meanwhile, rotated their squad, resting Liam Delap. However, his replacement, George Hirst, broke the deadlock early in the second half, heading home at the far post after Forest switched off at a corner.

Yates’ Equaliser Sparks Late Drama

Forest responded after Nuno introduced Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson, with Ryan Yates nodding in from close range following an excellent cross from Anthony Elanga.

Both sides had chances to win in regulation time. Murillo forced Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer into a strong save with a powerful long-range strike, while Callum Hudson-Odoi rattled the crossbar from a short corner routine. Yates thought he had doubled his tally, but his goal was ruled out for offside, a decision confirmed without the need for semi-automated technology.

Ipswich also came close, with Hirst heading over just after Forest’s equaliser, and Jack Clarke firing wide at the near post. However, neither team could find a breakthrough before extra time.

Extra-Time Stalemate and Shootout Drama

Extra time offered little in terms of clear-cut chances. Ipswich captain Sam Morsy fired wide early on, while Forest substitute Jota Silva dragged the final meaningful effort of the match past the post.

With penalties required to determine the winner, Sels produced a match-winning save at the last opportunity to send Forest into the quarter-finals. It marked the second successive round in which Forest required spot-kicks, having also edged past Exeter City in similar fashion.

With their FA Cup journey still alive, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men are now just one step away from Wembley.

For more info on this game’s outcome, you may also visit:
Fixtures – Emirates FA Cup – Competitions | The Football Association