Brighton 0 Nott’m Forest 0 AET (Forest win 4-3 on pens): Nuno’s side Wembley-bound despite controversial Mitoma VAR call
NOTTINGHAM FOREST captain Ryan Yates and goalkeeper Matz Sels were the heroes as Brighton suffered more FA Cup penalty agony.
Sels made two saves in a shootout and Yates scored the winning spot-kick to put his team in the semi-finals for the first time in 34 years.
The Seagulls lost the battle of nerve, just as they had done in their last-four clash with Manchester United two years ago.
But Forest will feel justice was done because they might have been ahead from the spot long before the denouement.
Just after the hour referee Peter Bankes pointed to the spot following Kaoru Mitoma’s challenge on Elliot Anderson.
But VAR told him to think again and a disappointing game went the distance.
Sels saved from Brighton’s Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez, either side of Neco Williams blazing over the bar.
So it was left to Yates to send Forest to Wembley and keep them on track for a truly memorable season.
For all the late drama, the match did not live up to its billing as a potential classic.
In the 2-2 draw at the Amex in September, the red mist had descended, with Morgan Gibbs-White sent off and both managers also dismissed in the aftermath.
At the City Ground in February, it had been a red rampage with Forest battering the Seagulls 7-0.
But Fabian Hurzeler’s team had gone unbeaten since to put them right in the mix for a Champions League place, as well as one step away from Wembley.
It was a bit of a harum-scarum start.
On the plus side, the intensity suggested neither side was keen on extra-time.
But the lack of accuracy in the passing and of quality in the final third were conspiring against anyone having a proper chance, let alone scoring.
An opportunity did arise when the ball broke into the path of Forest centre-forward Taiwo Awoniyi, who was in for the injured Chris Wood. But Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen saved with a leg.
The visitors were in the ascendancy, without creating any other opportunities of note.
It took the hosts nearly half an hour to pose even a vague threat to Sels’ goal, when Yasin Ayari had a shot from distance deflected wide.
Goalless clash
When left-back Pervis Estupinan had a go from more than 30 yards, Sels made a meal of it but no one in blue and white was close enough to gobble up the rebound from his parry.
Although Forest were superior, Nuno’s displays of frustration were becoming more animated.
After Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba flashed a shot just wide, Nuno told Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi to warm up.
But they didn’t come on at the break and it was Brighton who started the second half with more purpose.
Georginio Rutter, part of a home front four that had been missing in action until then, span and flashed a shot across and over Sels’ goal.
Almost immediately at the other end, Gibbs-White hit a dipping shot which Verbruggen helped over the bar acrobatically.
Penalty denied
The game was now more entertaining for the neutral. Hinshelwood should have done better with a free header from close range after an Estupinan corner.
Nuno had seen enough by the hour and sent on Elanga and Hudson-Odoi.
Forest thought the breakthrough had arrived soon afterwards when a sliding Mitoma inadvertently took down Anderson with his trailing elbow and Bankes pointed to the spot.
But VAR Paul Tierney asked Bankes to look again and he changed his mind.
The Forest bench signalled that they had been denied two spot-kicks, in reference to Adam Webster’s challenge on Yates earlier in the passage of play.
Hurzeler made a double change of his own in an attempt to wrest back the initiative.
Forest coming close
But it was Forest who almost scored, Verbruggen again saving with a leg, this time from Elanga after he was played in by Gibbs-White..
From another trademark break, Elanga failed to direct his cross to Gibbs-White, who collided instead with the post.
After that, neither side did much to prevent another half an hour of play, despite what became 11 minutes allowed for stoppages.
The first opening of extra time appeared for Brighton substitute Gomez but closed again when he cut back inside instead of shooting.
The Paraguayan also had an effort well blocked by Nikola Milenkovic.
At the start of the second period, Gomez forced Sels into his first decent save of the evening, with a goalbound header that the Belgian fingertipped over the bar.
Penalty shootout
Sels then beat away an effort by Simon Adingra before Jan Paul van Hecke blocked a Jota Silva shot.
Home sub Joao Pedro had the ball in the net but Estupinan had been offside before heading the ball into his path.
So the first time anyone scored would be from the spot.
Brighton won both tosses, so went first in front of their fans.
Pedro, Anderson, Brajan Gruda and Hudson-Odoi all scored. Sels saved Hinshelwood’s kick, Brighton’s third, but then Williams skied his.
The Seagulls’ celebrations were short-lived as Gomez fired straight at Sels.
Milenkovic converted, so Lewis Dunk had to do the same, and did.
But up stepped Yates and he did a captain’s duty to send Forest to Wembley.