As has been the case for much of the season, Matz Sels proved himself one of the best goalkeepers in the country, saving Jack Taylor’s penalty in the shootout to send Nottingham Forest into the FA Cup quarter-finals.
George Hirst and Ryan Yates exchanged goals in the second half of normal time but no one could source a winner prior to the shootout. The spot-kicks were exceptional until Taylor could not find the corner and the Belgian got behind it.
Nottingham Forest v Ipswich: FA Cup fifth round – live
The two head coaches faced a difficult balance, with Forest enjoying an unlikely battle for a Champions League spot and Ipswich scrapping for survival at the other end, and a Cup quarter-final spot at stake. The consequence of this was 14 changes between the two teams from their most recent outings, giving little for new England head coach Thomas Tuchel in the stands to focus on in the two starting lineups.
Considering Forest had made the fewer personnel alterations and could boast a superior quality of player, it was not a surprise that they dominated the early stages. Anthony Elanga’s pace was causing a problem but, despite having the majority of the ball, Ibrahim Sangaré flashing a header wide and Alex Moreno’s rising drive testing the reactions of the supporters behind the goal, Forest had little to show for their efforts.
Unlike Pep Guardiola, no one could blame the ball for the lack of shots on target because meaningful chances were hard to come by, Sels and Alex Palmer enjoying a watching brief.
With Brighton awaiting the winners in the final eight, neither side provided much in the way of urgency to secure a trip to the south coast. Forest are rarely at their best when allowed possession, preferring to counter and they struggled to reach the optimum tempo. Ipswich were disciplined in their play but lacking anything in terms of cutting edge, leading to a poor first half.
George Hirst celebrates putting Ipswich in front with his teammate Ben Johnson. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Kieran McKenna brought on two centre-backs at the break in an effort to change the dynamic in a less than obvious manner. One of the departed players, Cameron Burgess, looked to have picked up a knock, while Axel Tuanzebe’s exit could have been more tactical.
Eventually, in the 50th minute, Palmer was forced into his first save of the match when Elanga zipped a shot from the edge of the box, sending the goalkeeper down to his right. The save was a comfortable one but at least it provided a moment to get the fans off their seats and create some noise after a lengthy period of being dormant.
Ipswich, now attacking the end housing their fans, did likewise. Sam Morsy collected the ball 35 yards from goal and nudged it out of his feet before rocketing a shot towards the top corner, which Sels flew towards and tipped over. Unfortunately for the goalkeeper, no one picked up Hirst from the resulting corner and he nodded it back towards goal and through Sels’ legs.
Forest were stirred into life by going behind and were level 15 minutes later when Elanga swung in a cross for the captain Yates to head home. It gave the hosts not just an equaliser but the confidence to search for a winner.
skip past newsletter promotion
Sign up to Football Daily
Kick off your evenings with the Guardian’s take on the world of football
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
after newsletter promotion
Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood came off the bench prior to Yates’s goal, and they re-energised a faltering Forest. With Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi rampaging on the wings, it seemed only one team could win it.
Forest thought they had when Yates flicked home another, only for the offside flag to go up immediately. The video assistant referee, naturally, had a glance but the decision was correct.
The additional periods consisted of a series of long throws and praying that the ball landed in the right place. It did not. Hudson-Odoi fired wide with one of his customary curling shots after cutting in from the left as the match ticked slowly towards penalties.
The England manager Thomas Tuchel (top row, second right) was in the stands at the City Ground but didn’t have many potential England players to monitor. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters
The spot-kicks were taken in front of the home fans, who cheered the long walk to the area for Forest players and jeered those in blue. After nine successful penalties, Taylor saw his effort saved by Sels low to his left.
