Nottingham Forest progressed to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties after it had finished 1-1 after 90 minutes.
The Reds made the most of a bright start to take the lead. But they needed Dean Henderson to come through with a trio of big saves to keep them in front at the interval.
Gustavo Scarpa spurned a good opportunity in the opening few minutes, while Forest had a penalty appeal turned down when Max Kilman got in the way of a Brennan Johnson cross. The hosts were putting together some nice passing moves, though, and they finally made the breakthrough with 18 minutes gone.
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Morgan Gibbs-White’s corner was flicked on at the near post by Serge Aurier, with the defender’s effort bouncing back off the bar. Joe Worrall kept the move alive and Boly was on hand to poke the ball home against his former club.
Johnson hit the side-netting soon after and Renan Lodi had an effort charged down. But Wolves came back into it, with Henderson pulling off three strong saves to keep out Goncalo Guedes, Raul Jiminez and Hee-Chan Hwang.
Gibbs-White and Aurier both tried their luck early in the second half. But with the Reds unable to increase their advantage, Jiminez levelled for the visitors just past the hour.
The post denied Forest retaking the lead from what would have been a bizarre own goal. And that meant penalties. Remo Freuler, Joe Worrall, Gibbs-White and Jack Colback scored, while Henderson denied Ruben Neves and Joe Hodge as the Reds won 4-3. Here’s how Reds reporter Sarah Clapson rated the Forest players at the City Ground.
Dean Henderson: Superb saves to deny Raul Jiminez and Hee-Chan Hwang in the first half. Two excellent stops in the shootout, too, with suitably stylish celebrations afterwards. Rating: 9/10
Serge Aurier: Delightful flick which led to Boly’s goal. A typically composed performance from the defender, who rarely puts a foot wrong. So consistent. Rating: 8.5/10
Joe Worrall: Marked his 200th appearance for the club by having a hand in the opener and netting in the shootout. Did have a few hairy moments defensively, but took his penalty well. Rating: 7.5/10
Willy Boly: Had to be him to score against his old club, didn’t it?! Was determined to carry on - even if just for a short while - after picking up an injury, which is hopefully a positive sign. Deservedly departed to a standing ovation when he did head off. Rating: 8/10
Renan Lodi: Keeps making positive forward strides. Got forward well, especially in the first half. Had his work cut out after the break when the visitors began to see more of the ball but generally stuck to his task. Rating: 8/10
Remo Freuler: Had to dig in during the second half when things got a little scrappy. Could have done with the midfield controlling the game more at that point. Excellent penalty. Rating: 7.5/10
Ryan Yates: Didn’t give the visitors a moment’s rest, covering pretty much every blade of grass and constantly trying to break up play. Has become such a key player for the Reds. Rating: 8.5/10
Orel Mangala: Guilty of the odd sloppy pass, which almost proved costly. Could have done with a bit better control at times, particularly when Wolves got their tails up. Rating: 7/10
Gustavo Scarpa: Started really brightly and showed some lovely touches early on. Faded a bit as the game went on, but will have enjoyed his first taste of the City Ground atmosphere. Rating: 7.5/10
Brennan Johnson: Had a positive impact early on as the Reds were quick out of the traps. Will feel he should have had a penalty for handball. Rating: 7.5/10
Morgan Gibbs-White: Was at the heart of plenty of Forest’s attacking play against his former club, including putting in the ball for the opener. Enjoyed netting from the spot. Rating: 8.5/10
Subs
Scott McKenna (for Boly, 61mins): Unfortunate that the equaliser came just a few minutes after he had entered the fray. Rating: 6/10
Jack Colback (for Mangala, 64mins): Did well when he came on. Kept his cool from the spot. Rating: 7.5/10
Sam Surridge (for Johnson, 68mins): Looked bright but will be reliving that penalty miss. Rating: 6/10
Emmanuel Dennis (for Scarpa, 68mins): Can be so frustrating to watch. Got into good positions without making the most of them. Rating: 6/10
Subs not used: Hennessey, Cook, Mbe Soh, O’Brien, Toffolo.
Who was your Forest man of the match? Have your say in the comments below
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