Nottingham Forest 1-1 Ipswich Town *5-4 pens aet (FA Cup Round Five) 03.03.25

It was a long night, but they did it in the end. Nottingham Forest are through to the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup where they’ll play Brighton & Hove Albion next at the Amex, a tough trip to the South coast awaits but it’s a competition where the Reds are currently the highest ranked side left in the mix.

It was supposed to be a routine night’s work at the City Ground, Ipswich with just one win in eight have struggled following promotion to the Premier League this season, the Reds went strong in selection and could have scored early on when Ibrahim Sangare flashed a header wide from a corner.

But that was pretty much it from a flat first half which never really got going, the Tractor Boys not having a shot on target either, the Reds lively on occasion through the speedy Anthony Elanga, themselves struggling to penetrate the deep lying Ipswich defence.

In the second half that all changed. Ipswich took the lead, a scrappy goal as George Hirst prodded home from a corner, that ensured Forest would come at their visitors more, and after Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White were introduced from the bench, the Reds got their leveller from a Ryan Yates header following a floated Elanga delivery from the right.

Forest went for the jugular, by now in full control, they went closest when Hudson-Odoi hit the bar with a trademark right footed shot, cutting in and curling a fraction away from sorting out the tie in the ninety. The tie however, would go all the way.

Extra time needed, and despite the Reds pushing more, they couldn’t break down the Tractor door, 22 shots to 11 they had, 11 corners to 2, they even won on the possession stats by 54% to 46% which if you’re a Forest fan, you’ll know that doesn’t happen very often.

In a match that neither side would probably have wanted to go the distance, with big league matches against Manchester City for Forest, and Crystal Palace for Ipswich, coming up, this one did, go all the way, but the spot kicks would go Forest’s way, the Reds winning by the same route as they did at Exeter in round four, and scored all there’s in front of the Trent End, Ipswich doing the same until the tenth placed down by Jack Taylor, was struck softly to Matz Sels left, the big Belgian saving before running off to celebrate in front of the Brian Clough Stand.

Forest will fancy their chances of reaching Wembley, the new version, for only the second ever time, should they beat Brighton they’ll be in the semi finals for the first time since 1991, the year they last reached the final when they were beaten by Spurs in extra time.

Standing in their way, a rejuvenated Brighton, since that 7-0 loss against Forest the Seagulls have won all of their games, the tie to be played over the last weekend in March will dictate who continues their cup run.

Forest: Sels, Aina, Murillo, Morato, Moreno (Williams 82), Yates, Sangare (Gibbs-White 60), Hudson-Odoi, Danilo (Anderson 59), Elanga (Jota Silva 111), Awoniyi (Wood 82).

*Main image @NFFC Sels the hero as the Reds keeper saves Jack Clarke’s spot kick.