Nottingham Forest will meet Brighton in the FA Cup quarter-final as Matz Sels’ sudden death save earned them a spot in the last eight at Ipswich’s expense.
With neither side able to be separated after the scoreline at 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra-time, there were nine perfect penalties in the shootout before Jack Taylor stepped up.
The Ipswich midfielder could only find Sels’ body to send the City Ground into raptures – with Nuno Espirito Santo rushing onto the pitch as part of wild celebrations.
“It was the only penalty where I was in the right corner,” said Sels to ITV Sport after full-time. “It was penalties and one of the two goalkeepers was going to be the hero. It fell for me, so I am happy.”
The result means Forest will meet Brighton at the Amex Stadium for the last eight clash on the weekend of March 29/30. The most recent fixture between the two resulted in a 7-0 win for Forest.
Sels saved from Jack Taylor in sudden death
Matz Sels is congratulated by teammates after saving a penalty in the shootout
The cup tie was a slow burner after a frantic FA Cup fifth round weekend. Forest named attacking hotshots Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White on the bench and ended the first half without a shot on target.
Ipswich rested Liam Delap among other important players but his replacement George Hirst gave the Tractor Boys the lead early in the second half, heading home at the far post after Forest fell asleep at a corner.
George Hirst celebrates giving Ipswich the lead at Nottingham Forest
But after Nuno Espirito Santo brought on Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson, Forest found their leveller when Ryan Yates headed in from close after a superb delivery from the excellent Anthony Elanga.
Both sides threatened to win the cup tie in normal time as Murillo stung Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer’s gloves with a rasping long-range drive, before Callum Hudson-Odoi rattled the top of the crossbar after a short corner routine.
Yates was also denied a second Forest goal but the offside flag, with semi-automated offsides not needed to validate the clear decision.
Ryan Yates heads Forest level against Ipswich
At the other end, Hirst headed over from close range immediately after Forest’s leveller before Jack Clarke spurned a good chance to win it by firing wide at the near post – but neither side could be separated after 90 minutes.
Extra-time passed with Sam Morsy firing wide early on, while Forest substitute Jota Silva dragged the last meaningful effort of the game wide of goal. That left penalties and Sels’ moment of magic.
It was the second round in a row where Forest have required penalties, having overcome Exeter City from 12 yards in the last round, but Nuno’s special season carries on – and they are one step away from Wembley.
McKenna: All our penalties were good – even Jack’s.
Taylor is consoled at full-time by Forest captain Ryan Yates
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna to ITV Sport:
“There’s certainly an element of luck to it. Disappointed to lose, no doubt about that. A really challenging night in so many aspects, and really proud of the effort.
“We took pretty good penalties, all four were good. Even Jack’s is a good save but it comes down to a tiny margin.
“That’s a team with a lot of changes, where the group has been and where it’s grown, to be on this stage and to lose two out of our three defenders in the half-time period was a big blow as well.
“It makes it more of a challenge to get through extra-time as we used a lot of our subs early. We met a lot of challenges tonight in many, many different aspects. We met it head on and had a performance to be proud of.”
Nuno: We love the FA Cup!
Sels makes the crucial low stop to win the FA Cup tie
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo to ITV Sport:
“The help the fans gave us during the penalties, making all the noise to distract the Ipswich players, we thank them a lot! In the end, it was beautiful to see Matz giving us the win.
“These kinds of games can finish in penalties so we prepared them. The players did their job quite well!
“But in terms of the game, we competed well. We dominated and had clear chances but delighted the boys achieved it and our fans are happy tonight.
“Now it’s game by game. We have City, then we think again about the Premier League and then we think about the FA Cup. It’s a competition we love and we want to do our best.”
The penalty shootout in focus
Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:
As soon as this FA Cup tie went to penalties, it felt like there was only going to be one winner.
Forest won the toss and made both sides shoot into their fans, but the odds would have been against Ipswich at the other end.
Alex Palmer had saved just two out of his 33 career penalties faced. Both came while playing for Kidderminster Harriers in the 2015/16 season – and he conceded from every single spot-kick for former club West Brom.
In the other corner, Sels has been one of the standout Premier League goalkeepers this term and already helped Forest to a penalty shootout win at Exeter in the last round.
Then came Ipswich’s decision to send Jack Taylor up for a sudden death penalty. The midfielder dropped the ball on the spot, rather than placing it, with referee Tony Harrington then telling him to re-place it as it was not in the right place.
Taylor dropped the ball on the spot then was told by the referee to replace it
Taylor was never confident, Sels grew in it. And that’s how this cup tie was won.
