A dramatic night at the City Ground leaves Nottingham Forest “even more fuelled up” for the Championship play-offs final, according to boss Steve Cooper.
The Reds had been in the driving seat at the start of the second leg, leading Sheffield United 2-1 after triumphing at Bramall Lane on Saturday. But the Blades pulled the tie level on the banks of the Trent, forcing extra-time.
And with no breakthrough in the extra 30 minutes, it went to penalties. Brice Samba was the hero for the hosts, saving from Oliver Norwood, Conor Hourihane and Morgan Gibbs-White to send his team to Wembley as they won 3-2 on spot-kicks.
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“To get through a two-legged semi-final in the play-offs, whether it’s Championship, League One or League Two, you have to do everything,” said Cooper. “You have to play really well, you have to suffer, you have to show good physical and athletic levels, you have to show good mental resilience, and you have to be ready for penalties and extra-time. We have done that.
“I’ve never seen a team play perfect for two games. We certainly didn’t, but we did do enough over the two legs.
“Let’s not forget, we were brilliant at Sheffield United. I took a lot of reassurance from that, that these guys can play on a big stage.
“We’ve managed to come through a lot. I would love to have won 3-1 and just walked off, but the fact we’ve done it like we have - which is the most important thing - means we are even more fuelled up now for the final. And that’s good.”
Forest will face Huddersfield Town in the final at Wembley, fighting for a place in the Premier League. It will take place a week on Sunday.
