Matz Sels saved Jack Taylor’s penalty in the shootout to send Nottingham Forest through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup following a 1-1 draw against Ipswich after extra-time at the City Ground.
Forest’s dream season continued as they moved one step closer to a first trophy since 1990 while Ipswich now switch their attention to staying in the Premier League.
Both sides were far from impressive in a first period void of any sort of quality with the goalkeepers bystanders as the game finished goalless at the break.
England manager Thomas Tuchel was watching on in the stands and would have taken very little from a dull first 45 minutes but the second half offered more entertainment.
George Hirst’s third goal of the season put the visitors on track for a first win over any Premier League side this calendar year until Ryan Yates’ equalising header sent the match into extra time.
No goals came in the extra 30 minutes and Sels dived low to his left to stop Taylor from the spot to secure a 5-4 shootout success, setting up a quarter-final clash at Brighton.
The best chance of the first period fell to Ibrahim Sangare, who glanced a header across the face of goal but Ipswich were thankful to see the header bounce wide.
Anthony Elanga aimed to inject some energy into Forest’s otherwise drab performance with an effort from distance which Alex Palmer had to be alert to at the start of the second half.
Ipswich started to show a little more ambition as they sensed a Forest team not quite performing at their best. Sam Morsy got the ball out of his feet and decided to smash an audacious 35-yard effort towards goal but Sels got the finest of fingertips on it to push over the bar.
However, he could not stop the Tractor Boys from breaking the deadlock from the resulting corner.
Ben Johnson’s inswinging delivery picked out an unmarked Hirst at the far post and he nudged a header towards goal which bounced through Sels’ legs.
Forest got themselves level without having to put too much pressure on Ipswich’s frail defence.
Substitute Elliot Anderson recycled the ball out to Elanga and he delivered a teasing ball into the area straight onto the head of Yates who nodded beyond Palmer.
Forest thought they turned the game on its head with 15 minutes to play when Yates headed home again, but the offside flag cut celebrations short.
Forest began to put their relegation-threatened visitors under pressure – Murillo’s 25-yard bullet was stopped by Palmer before Callum Hudson-Odoi rattled the crossbar from similar range and neither team did enough in extra-time which then forced penalties.
And after nine perfect spot-kicks, Taylor was the only one to miss as Sels guessed right to send Forest through to the last eight.
