Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi’s Nottingham Forest have qualified for the semi-final of the FA Cup, defeating Brighton in their quarter-final clash on penalties at the AMEX Stadium on Saturday.
Taiwo Awoniyi made his third consecutive FA Cup start, leading the line in place of Chris Wood who got injured during the international break, while Ola Aina returned straight into the starting lineup after featuring for the Super Eagles in the World Cup qualifiers.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men were looking to qualify for the semi-final of the competition for the first time since the 1990-91 season, losing their previous three FA Cup quarter-final ties, all by a 1-0 scoreline. However, they needed to defeat an in-form Brighton side who had not lost in seven games since their 7-0 defeat to Forest.
Despite creating several opportunities, neither side were able to break the deadlock in 90 minutes, forcing the game into extra time. After 30 extra minutes, there was nothing to separate the two teams, as such, Forest went into penalties for the third consecutive FA Cup tie.
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While both sides scored their first two penalties, Mats Sels made crucial saves in the next two against Brighton, denying Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez. Neco Williams also missed his spot kick, but Nikola Milenkovic and Ryan Yates scored, giving Nottingham Forest a 4-3 win and a spot in the semi-final.
Nottingham Forest will now await their opponents in the next round of the FA Cup as their remarkable season continues. Meanwhile, Brighton will turn their attention to the Premier League as they hope to secure European qualification.
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