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Nottingham Post

Sport

Bruna Reis

National media verdict as Nottingham Forest humiliation at Blackpool raises questions

Forest Nottingham Forest Steve Cooper Marvin Ekpiteta CJ Hamilton Michael Appleton Ryan Yates Jerry Yates EPL FA Cup

Nottingham Forest bowed out of the FA Cup at the third round stage courtesy of a 4-1 defeat at Blackpool.

The hosts received all the plaudits at Bloomfield Road after ending a nine-game winless run against the Reds. Meanwhile, the visitors were humbled after falling behind in the 16th minute.

Despite trailing 1-0 down at the break, Forest were unable to respond in the second half. The Seasiders' fine display saw them net another three goals in just under 25 minutes, before Ryan Yates scored a consolation goal in stoppage time.

Here is how the national media reported on events at Bloomfield Road...

BBC Sport, Ben Collins

Championship strugglers Blackpool humbled Premier League Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round.

The Seasiders, in the relegation zone in the second tier, took a 17th-minute lead through Marvin Ekpiteta. Forest, who changed their entire starting XI, spurned a host of chances to draw level at Bloomfield Road.

Ian Poveda, CJ Hamilton and Jerry Yates struck in the second half before Ryan Yates claimed a consolation. "This is a fantastic competition that I have been fortunate to experience fantastic days in and this was one of them," said Blackpool boss Michael Appleton.

Forest's thrilling run to last season's quarter-finals buoyed their ultimately successfully push for a long-awaited promotion back to the Premier League. But Steve Cooper's team selection suggested Forest were happy to sacrifice this season's competition to focus on avoiding an immediate return to the Championship.

Blackpool's James Husband volleyed narrowly wide of the far post before Forest failed to deal with Hamilton's left-wing cross and Shayne Lavery's scuffed shot found Ekpiteta. The centre-half, who had stayed forward following a free-kick, stabbed the ball past Wayne Hennessey from 10 yards.

Read more, here.

The Guardian, PA Media

Blackpool belied their struggles in the Championship to dump Premier League visitors Nottingham Forest out of the FA Cup.

The Seasiders, languishing in the relegation zone after a nine-game winless run, led at half-time through Marvin Ekpiteta’s close-range finish. Michael Appleton’s side soaked up Forest’s second-half pressure and added further goals through Ian Poveda, CJ Hamilton and substitute Jerry Yates before Ryan Yates headed a late consolation for the visitors.

Forest boss Steve Cooper made 11 changes for the third round tie and was left stunned as his new-look lineup failed to convert a host of chances before being punished on the counterattack. "I think we have got ourselves to blame," Cooper told the BBC.

"We can have no excuses for the result. You can’t give away the chances we did and miss the chances we had and expect to get a positive result. It’s unacceptable. It’s not good enough. I’ve said exactly the same thing to the players.

"We fell short in every way, shape and form. Even when we went 2-0 down I thought we were still in the game but we didn’t show enough fight. We went down too easily and that was just as disappointing as the chances we missed and the ones we gave away."

Read more, here.

Daily Mail, Joe Bernstein

Championship strugglers Blackpool lived up to their illustrious FA Cup history as they humbled a Nottingham Forest team branded "unacceptable" by their manager Steve Cooper.

Sitting in the relegation zone, Michael Appleton’s Seasiders took full advantage of Forest’s 11 changes to record their first victory in 10 matches in emphatic fashion. They took the lead through Marvin Ekpiteta, survived a Forest onslaught which saw Emmanuel Dennis hit the crossbar, and then strike in the last quarter through Leeds loanee Ivan Poveda, CJ Hamilton and top scorer Jerry Yates before Ryan Yates’ worthless consolation for the visitors.

There are reminders everywhere at Bloomfield Road of the legendary Stanley Matthews Final from 70 years ago and Appleton’s class of ’23 did the club proud. "To get a result and performance like today can create momentum and it will do the players a world of good.

"We knew we’d need Max (goalkeeper Chris Maxwell) to have to make saves and for us to be clinical in front of goal but we ticked all the boxes." Cooper was deflated even though this game was sandwiched between a key win at Southampton which lifted Forest out of the Premier League bottom three and Wednesday’s EFL Cup quarter-final against Wolves.

"It was unacceptable. We’ve got to make it never happens again," he fumed. "This team was more than strong enough to do well. We gave the game up too early because even at 2-0 we were still the dominant team.

"We shouldn’t forget this too quickly. I won’t. It’s a lesson that you can’t just turn things on and off – I hate that."

Read more, here.

The Independent, Mark Walker

Blackpool belied their poor Sky Bet Championship form to beat Nottingham Forest 4-1 and dump the Premier League side out of the FA Cup.

The Seasiders, in the second-tier’s relegation zone after a nine-game winless run, led at half-time through Marvin Ekpiteta’s close-range finish. Michael Appleton’s side then soaked up Forest’s second-half pressure and added further goals through Ian Poveda, CJ Hamilton and substitute Jerry Yates before Ryan Yates headed a late consolation for the visitors.

Forest boss Steve Cooper made 11 changes for the third-round tie and was left stunned as his new-look line-up failed to convert a host of chances before being punished on the counter by the Championship strugglers. Blackpool were first to threaten when James Husband fired narrowly wide, while Nico Williams went closer at the other end for Forest, dragging his low effort just off target after a mazy run to the edge of the penalty area.

But it was the Championship side who drew first blood. Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien misdirected an attempted headed clearance in the box and centre-half Ekpiteta fired home from eight yards.

Forest were stung into action and were a whisker away from equalising when Emmanuel Dennis curled a shot against the crossbar. Brazilian midfielder Gustavo Scarpa, making his first start for Forest, forced Blackpool goalkeeper Chris Maxwell into a low save and Sam Surridge blazed into the side-netting after beating his man in the box.