Nottingham Forest Survive FA Cup Thriller

Nottingham Forest Survive FA Cup Scare, Beat 10-Man Exeter on Penalties 🎭⚽

⏳ FA Cup Fourth Round Drama: Forest Edge Past Exeter After 120-Minute Thriller

Nottingham Forest escaped a massive FA Cup shock against a resilient 10-man Exeter City, securing a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout victory after a 2-2 draw at St James Park.

The Premier League giants, ranked 59 places above Exeter, were on the brink of an upset as the League One underdogs put up an incredible fight.

⚡ Key Highlights:

Josh Magennis scored twice for Exeter, taking his FA Cup tally to six goals, making him the tournament's top scorer.

Ramon Sosa and Taiwo Awoniyi struck for Forest, but the Premier League side couldn't shake off Exeter's persistence.

Jota Silva hit the crossbar in the dying moments of normal time, nearly sealing a famous Exeter win.

Ed Turns was sent off for a high challenge on Morgan Gibbs-White in the 87th minute, leaving Exeter with 10 men.

Penalty shootout drama: Forest held their nerve as Matz Sels made a crucial save, and Angus MacDonald struck the bar for Exeter.

Let’s dive into the thrilling match details!

🔥 A Fairytale Start for Exeter – Magennis Strikes Early (5’)

Exeter City fans packed St James Park, holding up a massive "Together We Can Create History" banner, believing an upset was on the cards.

And just five minutes in, they got their wish! Carlos Miguel spilled a shot from Demetri Mitchell, and Josh Magennis pounced on the rebound to fire Exeter into a shock 1-0 lead.

🚨 Controversy Alert!

Replays suggested Magennis may have been offside, but with no VAR in the FA Cup fourth round, the goal stood.

🌟 Stat:

📊 Exeter had not won a match since their third-round victory over Oxford, losing four of their last five games before this FA Cup clash.

⚽ Sosa & Awoniyi Turn the Tide for Forest (23’, 37’)

Despite an early scare, Nottingham Forest quickly responded.

🔥 23’ – Ramon Sosa Levels It Up!

Ibrahim Sangaré found Sosa in space, and the Paraguayan winger buried his shot into the net, scoring his second FA Cup goal after netting against Luton in the previous round.

🔥 37’ – Awoniyi Puts Forest Ahead!

Sangaré was the provider again, feeding Taiwo Awoniyi at the edge of the box.

The Nigerian striker turned brilliantly, shifted onto his left foot, and slotted past Joe Whitworth, making it 2-1 to Forest.

📊 Half-Time Stats:

Possession: Forest 61% – Exeter 39%

Shots on Target: Forest 5 – Exeter 2

Corners: Forest 4 – Exeter 3

⚠️ Second-Half Shock: Magennis Strikes Again (50’)

Just five minutes into the second half, Exeter hit back!

⚽ 50’ – Magennis Equalizes (2-2)!

The striker rose highest at a corner, forcing Miguel into a point-blank save.

Willy Boly tried to clear, but the ball ricocheted off him and into the net – a painful own goal for Forest.

📊 Josh Magennis Becomes FA Cup Top Scorer

🔥 Goals in FA Cup 2025: 6

🔥 Goals in League One 2025: 8

🔄 Goalkeeper Blow for Forest!

Shortly after, Carlos Miguel went down injured, forcing Matz Sels to replace him.

🚨 Late Drama – Red Card, Crossbar & Extra Time!

As the match ticked towards the 90th minute, both sides pushed for a winner.

🚨 87’ – Red Card for Exeter!

Exeter’s Ed Turns received a straight red card for a reckless thigh-high challenge on Gibbs-White.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Exeter refused to give up.

⚡ 90+3’ – Jota Silva Almost Wins It!

Jota Silva unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the box.

The ball crashed off the crossbar, inches away from giving Exeter a historic win!

📊 End of Normal Time Stats:

Shots: Forest 14 – Exeter 7

Fouls: Forest 12 – Exeter 15

Red Cards: Exeter 1 – Forest 0

🎯 Extra Time: Forest Dominate, Exeter Hold Firm

With Exeter down to 10 men, Forest launched wave after wave of attacks in extra time.

🔹 Chris Wood came close twice, but goalkeeper Joe Whitworth made superb saves.

🔹 Taiwo Awoniyi was stretchered off after a worrying injury, adding to Forest’s concerns.

💡 Fun Fact:

Forest boss Nuno Espírito Santo made 10 changes to his lineup after their 7-0 demolition of Brighton, giving Exeter hope of an upset.

With no breakthrough in 120 minutes, the game headed to penalties.

🎯 Penalty Shootout – Forest Hold Their Nerve!

👀 The Shootout Drama:

✅ Chris Wood – Scores (1-0)

✅ Morgan Gibbs-White – Scores (2-0)

✅ Elliot Anderson – Scores (3-0)

🚫 Reece Cole (Exeter) – Saved by Matz Sels!

✅ Josh Magennis (Exeter) – Scores (3-1)

✅ Brahim Diaz (Forest) – Scores (4-1)

❌ Angus MacDonald (Exeter) – Hits the crossbar!

🌟 Neco Williams steps up… AND SCORES!

🏆 Nottingham Forest win the shootout 4-2 and advance to Round 5!

🏆 What’s Next? FA Cup Fifth Round Draw

🗓 Forest will face Ipswich Town at home in the FA Cup Fifth Round.

🔮 Can Forest Go All The Way?

As the highest-ranked team left in the FA Cup, Nottingham Forest are now favorites to reach Wembley.

📊 Forest’s FA Cup Run So Far:

✅ Third Round: 3-0 vs Luton

✅ Fourth Round: 2-2 (4-2 on penalties) vs Exeter

🔥 Key Stats from the Match:

Possession: Forest 65% – Exeter 35%

Shots: Forest 22 – Exeter 9

Pass Accuracy: Forest 87% – Exeter 72%

Saves Made: Forest 3 – Exeter 6

🔥 Final Thoughts

👏 Exeter City deserve immense credit for their courageous display. Pushing a Premier League side to penalties with 10 men is remarkable.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest will need to improve if they want to go deeper in the FA Cup. Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad rotation almost backfired, but ultimately, they survived.

👀 What’s your take on the match? Can Forest go all the way? Drop your thoughts in the comments! ⬇️