Nottingham Forest secured their spot at Wembley after another penalty shoot-out win in the FA Cup, following a game with Brighton & Hove Albion to be forgotten — but a moment to be cherished. George Edwards was at the match
© George Edwards
Over three decades of anguish, desire and anticipation finally evaporated with one kick of a football as Nottingham Forest held out to beat Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties, prompting wild and uncontrollable celebration, the Reds back at Wembley for a cup semi-final.
A moment provided by a man who represented each and every member of the 4,500 travelling support, and the millions of Reds around the world, it was fitting Ryan Yates would be the one to secure the fate that Forest just seemed destined to achieve.
Yates’s story is one that largely mirrors the journey his club have taken to propel themselves into their current position. Forest like to do things the unconventional way, they have constantly been written off and overlooked, and just when you think they’re down and out, they find a way to be heard.
Their captain epitomises those traits and that character, always working his way back into the side and defying every critic. If anyone was going to get the chance to send Forest to the semi-finals, Yates doing so just seemed fitting.
Fitting that one of Forest’s own would lead the charge and celebration, fitting that this historic and memorable season in so many aspects keeps churning up memories that top the last.
No side wins the FA Cup without a sweat. There always seems to be bumps in the road, near misses, of which can certainly be said of Forest’s road to Wembley.
Now their third consecutive shoot-out win, the Reds class from the penalty spot is a testament to the mental strength established by Nuno, showing they can rise to any occasion and focus on every individual moment. So many players starred in victory, but that moment on the South Coast was one for the collective.
Every football fan is biased, but you can’t help but feel everyone at Nottingham Forest deserved that moment of delight.
This recent period of Forest history has been a rollercoaster ride, with the fans relishing every second, playing in England’s top division after years in the abyss. Their support has been unwavering, and this season’s success has brought sharp disbelief at the manner and pace of their improvement, alongside everlasting memories.
It’s been no secret Forest haven’t been shy of buying players, but every single one involved yesterday has fully invested into the identity of Nottingham Forest and is relishing being part of the current success. There are no sulkers or bad apples, just a tight-knit and together squad who deserved their moment in the spotlight.
The current crop of Forest players just get it. They are there to do a job but do it in their own way and do so enjoying every single second, the focused display for 120 minutes elucidating their desire to deliver.
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— The Famous Club (@TheFamousCIub) March 29, 2025
Finally, the two men at the top of the club, steering Forest towards the route of victory, had their chance to revel in the moment and bask in their success.
Evangelos Marinakis’ infinite ambition is one that has stemmed down through the roots of Nottingham Forest, and Nuno’s style, personality and influence is so evident in his Forest team, another chance to express his now seemingly permanent grin.
“It feels like a dream,” exclaimed one supporter after the final kick, a dream everyone associated with the football club has been waiting to have for decades.
As has been the case with pretty much every fixture of Forest’s FA Cup campaign so far, the game itself was far from memorable. Being without talisman Chris Wood skewed things and left Taiwo Awoniyi an isolated man, Forest solving one problem but creating another when Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi were introduced, replacing the Nigerian and leaving Forest with no focal point.
Matz Sels’ heroics began in extra time as he acrobatically tipped a close-range header from Diego Gomez over the crossbar, and the Belgian was only just getting started. Two expert stops from the spot followed as the game went to a shootout, Sels always the coolest man in any scenario.
Sels being heroic has become somewhat the norm, but Forest missing in a shoot-out hasn’t. When Neco Williams blazed the third penalty over the bar there was surprise in the away end, but no man in red was phased, expertly reacting with composure and assurance to ensure Forest were Wembley-bound.
It feels like a full-circle moment. A chance to reflect upon the past few years, chart Forest’s meteoric rise and look at what could come afterwards.
Without Forest’s first trip to the famous Arch, none of this would have been possible. That fond day in May 2022 was make or break; just look at where opponents Huddersfield have ended up. Since then, Forest had to establish themselves, and did so with great struggle, until the shackles were well and truly let off this summer.
Forest bolted, and no one has really caught them, as dreams of Nuno joining a club of Forest managers including just Billy Walker and Harry Hallam to lift the FA Cup loom ever larger. However, those dreams must be parked, as Forest have another one to achieve.
Much has been made of the question of FA Cup or Champions League football, but the mindset must shift to both. Undoubtedly both are within range, Forest’s style suiting a knockout tie at Wembley and their track record suggesting that they are on track to finish inside the top four.
So, for the players, it’s onto Manchester United at home, to begin the final push for Europe. But for us, the fans, who have waited so long for our football club to do us proud, dreams can come true — it’s happened before.
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