At 11.04pm, at last there was a result, Nottingham Forest avoiding an FA Cup upset against 10-man Exeter City after prevailing from the final fourth-round tie via a 4-2 penalty shootout victory. Neco Williams scored the decisive penalty after Matz Sels, who replaced the injured Carlos Miguel midway through the second half, saved low to his right to deny Reece Cole before Angus MacDonald blasted his spot-kick against the crossbar. It was an absorbing contest – locals craned their necks from the windows of the terraced houses on St James Road to catch a view – but a cruel crescendo for third-tier Exeter.
Forest had a man advantage for 53 minutes after Ed Turns was given a straight red card for a high challenge on Morgan Gibbs-White, 23 of which were in second-half stoppage time after Taiwo Awoniyi suffered a concussion and broken nose. The striker received 12 minutes of medical treatment on the pitch but by the end he was well enough to salute the Forest fans, some of whom will do well to return home by 4am. “He is in a lot of pain but with a smile on his face because he did an amazing job, scoring for us,” said Nuno Espírito Santo, relieved about his side’s progress and the injury prognosis.
