March 30, (THEWILL) – Nottingham Forest progressed to the FA Cup semi-finals following a tense penalty shootout victory over Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium. After a goalless draw in normal and extra time, Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels emerged as the decisive figure, saving two penalties before Ryan Yates converted the winning spot-kick to seal a 4-3 triumph.
The match itself was closely contested throughout the initial 90 minutes. Both teams created opportunities in the first half, with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba firing narrowly wide and Forest’s Nigerian international Taiwo Awoniyi being denied by Bart Verbruggen from a tight angle. A significant moment occurred in the 63rd minute when an initial penalty award to Forest was overturned following VAR intervention after Elliot Anderson went down under pressure from Kaoru Mitoma.
Extra time saw Brighton apply substantial pressure on the Forest defence. Diego Gomez had a header brilliantly saved by Sels, while Joao Pedro found the net only to be ruled offside. With neither side able to break the deadlock after 120 minutes, the match proceeded to penalties – Forest’s third shootout in this season’s competition.
In the dramatic penalty sequence, Sels proved his worth by saving from Jack Hinshelwood and later stopping Diego Gomez’s powerful effort. Despite Neco Williams firing over for Forest, Yates kept his composure with the decisive penalty, sparking jubilant celebrations among the travelling supporters as their team earned a place at Wembley for the semi-finals.
The victory is a significant achievement for Nottingham Forest in the 2024/2025 season, continuing their impressive cup run despite facing English Premier League opposition away from home. Their reward is a trip to Wembley Stadium where they will compete for a place in the final of the prestigious competition.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
