Nottingham Forest are writing one of the stories of this season but seem doomed to do it the hard way in the FA Cup.
Forest eventually prevailed in a penalty shoot-out for the second successive game in the competition, with goalkeeper Matz Sels saving the final penalty from Ipswich’s Jack Taylor.
Sels is the leading goalkeeper in the Premier League with 11 clean sheets and proved the difference here after a tiring 120 minutes which will not have satisfied either manager.
With Forest facing champions Manchester City this weekend, and struggling Ipswich travelling to Crystal Palace, the extension of this tie to penalties will have been a huge frustration. Forest needed penalties to sneak past League One Exeter in the previous round, and it was a similar end to the contest here against an Ipswich team who had made eight changes from their last starting XI in the Premier League.
England manager Thomas Tuchel was a spectator at the City Ground but had left long before the inevitable penalty shoot-out.
Sels’ heroics has set Forest up with a quarter-final at Brighton later this month. Forest thrashed Brighton 7-0 in the Premier League last month but Fabian Hurzeler’s team have since secured five wins in a row.
It is only Forest’s second quarter-final since 1996 and Nuno Espirito Santo has never downplayed the importance of this particular cup competition. In April 2019, he guided Wolves to an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, with his team leading 2-0 against Watford with 11 minutes to go. They would eventually lose in extra time, in what was one of Nuno’s lowest moments in English football.
Ipswich’s ambitions this season concern the other end of the table and Kieran McKenna described the tie as “a good distraction” from a relegation battle that is clearly the club’s priority.
He made eight changes here, with his team currently 18th in the table and five points from safety with a poor goal difference. So many changes always appeared a gamble, though, with over 3,000 travelling fans making the long trip from Suffolk.
With Tuchel in attendance, along with his assistant Anthony Barry, Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson were on the bench, while Ipswich’s Liam Delap was also a substitute. It raised the question over whether there could be an opportunity for Callum Hudson-Odoi. Tuchel had him at Chelsea but it still seems a stretch, as Hudson-Odoi has not featured for the England national team since 2019.
In a rather cagey, flat first-half, Forest were dominating possession but struggling to carve out any clear-cut chances. Ibrahim Sangare flashed a header wide from Anthony Elanga’s corner but Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer was rarely called into action.
Ipswich were virtually devoid of any attacking threat and Forest’s back-four – who consisted of the tongue-twisting trio of Murillo, Morato and Moreno – were untroubled.
It seemed only a matter of time before both managers utilised their many options on the bench. McKenna introduced defenders Dara O’Shea and Jacob Greaves for the second half, moving to three at the back. As a result Ipswich became more solid and balanced, and suddenly a football match broke out.
Palmer was finally forced into his first save in the 50th minute, diving to his left to push away Elanga’s shot from just outside the area. Ipswich captain Sam Morsy then tested Sels with a fine effort from 25 yards, which was tipped over by the Belgium international.
From the resulting corner, Ipswich made the breakthrough. Ben Johnson’s corner eluded the Forest defence to find an unmarked George Hirst at the back post and he headed through Sels’ legs. Hirst is the son of former Sheffield Wednesday striker David, who scored in the 1993 FA Cup final against Arsenal.
Nuno reacted quickly, bringing on Gibbs-White and Anderson to give Forest some semblance of threat in the final third. It was a double substitution which provided Forest with far more attacking impetus. Their captain, Ryan Yates, then produced the 68th minute equaliser, rising high to head in Elanga’s cross. The goal came at a time when leading scorer Chris Wood was just about to be introduced, before being instructed to take his seat again in the dug-out.
Forest were now in the ascendancy with the pressure increased. Yates converted another close-range header 15 minutes from time but was ruled offside. Murillo’s shot was tipped over by Palmer before Hudson-Odoi struck the top of the crossbar.
Forest converted all of their penalties and then Sels dived to push away Taylor’s effort to seal the tie.
10:37 PM GMT
Quarter-final draw is set
10:27 PM GMT
Sels speaks to ITV
I’m happy of course that I could help the team to get into the next round. It was the only penalty where I was in the right corner.
I’m happy for the team and now we have an important game [coming up]. The game was not so good, extra time is always like gambling you don’t want to open up too much.
And then it was penalties and one of the two goalkeepers was going to be the hero. It fell for me, so I am happy.
10:24 PM GMT
Heartbreak for Taylor, delight for Sels
Taylor had a penalty saved in Ipswich’s shootout defeat by AFC Wimbledon in August. Bizarre decision to put him on the fifth and pivotal penalty.
He never looked like scoring while Sels, arguably the best keeper in the Premier League this season, made a decisive contribution when it mattered most.
10:17 PM GMT
Taylor misses for Ipswich - FOREST BEAT IPSWICH 5-4 ON PENALTIES
SELS THE HERO. The Forest keeper dives to his left and pushes away Taylor’s poor penalty. Not enough conviction in that.
Nottingham Forest 5 Ipswich Town 4
10:16 PM GMT
Hudson-Odoi scores for Forest
Hudson-Odoi puts his team on the verge with a fine penalty.
Nottingham Forest 5 Ipswich Town 4
10:15 PM GMT
Johnson scores for Ipswich
The full-back impressively powers a penalty into the corner.
Nottingham Forest 4 Ipswich Town 4
10:14 PM GMT
Williams scores for Forest
Emphatic from the Welshman as he sends Palmer the wrong way.
Nottingham Forest 4 Ipswich Town 3
10:13 PM GMT
Cajuste scores for Ipswich
Cool penalty by Cajuste down the middle.
Nottingham Forest 3 Ipswich Town 3
10:13 PM GMT
Anderson scores for Forest
Anderson finds the bottom corner. Palmer dived the right way but couldn’t get near it.
Nottingham Forest 3 Ipswich Town 2
10:12 PM GMT
Delap scores for Ipswich
No messing from Delap as he hits the side netting with his shot.
Nottingham Forest 2 Ipswich Town 2
10:11 PM GMT
Gibbs-White scores for Forest
Gibbs-White takes his time, does a stutter run up and curls a shot into the bottom corner.
Nottingham Forest 2 Ipswich Town 1
10:10 PM GMT
Morsy scores for Ipswich
The Ipswich skipper sends Sels the wrong way and whips his shot into the corner.
Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
10:09 PM GMT
Wood scores for Forest
Wood takes the first penalty of the shoot-out and makes no mistake, powering a shot past Palmer’s dive.
Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 0
10:04 PM GMT
FULL TIME: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Time is up at the City Ground and the sides can’t be separated after 120 minutes so penalties will settle this one.
10:02 PM GMT
120mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
One minute added on here.
09:56 PM GMT
114mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Jota Silva drags a shot wide after neat interplay from Forest. Time running out for a winner...
09:52 PM GMT
110mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Change by Forest:
OFF - Elanga
ON - Jota Silva
09:51 PM GMT
108mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Delap bursts clear on the halfway line and races towards the penalty area. He goes down under pressure from Murillo and Morato but the referee waves away his appeals.
09:47 PM GMT
ET SECOND HALF: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Back underway. Are penalties inevitable?
09:45 PM GMT
ET HALF-TIME: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Final shot of the half goes to Gibbs-White, who fires over the bar from 25 yards out.
09:42 PM GMT
102mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Hudson-Odoi tries his luck from outside the area again but fails to hit the target to Ipswich’s relief.
09:37 PM GMT
98mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Delap is bundled over by Murillo on the edge of the box and in a dangerous position.
Townsend and Taylor are standing over it... The former takes it and his shot is straight into the arms of Sels.
09:35 PM GMT
96mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Yates is booked for clipping the heels of Clarke on the halfway line.
09:34 PM GMT
94mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
The momentum Forest built after their equaliser has drifted away and Ipswich have settled back into the match.
Forest boss Nuno will not be happy that his side are in this position.
09:30 PM GMT
EXTRA TIME: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
We go again at the City Ground with Brighton awaiting the winner.
09:25 PM GMT
FULL TIME: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
The whistle goes and we will have an extra 30 minutes in this one and the possibility of penalties if no goals are scored.
09:23 PM GMT
94mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Extra time seems inevitable as the clock ticks on.
09:19 PM GMT
90mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Six minutes added on.
Change by Ipswich:
OFF - Hirst
ON - Delap
09:17 PM GMT
88mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Clash of heads in the box with Yates and Greaves leaves the latter bleeding from his mouth.
Both look fine to continue.
09:11 PM GMT
82mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
From the resulting corner, Elanga takes it short and plays it to Hudson-Odoi on the edge of the box. The winger jinks to his right and whips and effort that beats Palmer but strikes the crossbar.
A brilliant effort.
09:10 PM GMT
81mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Fabulous strike by Murillo from distance but Palmer is equal to it and tips the ball over the bar.
Two changes by Forest.
OFF - Awoniyi & Moreno
ON - Wood & Williams
09:06 PM GMT
78mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Yellow card shown to Anderson for stopping Ipswich taking a quick free-kick.
09:03 PM GMT
75mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Scramble in the box and Yates heads in again but the offside flag goes up. And it is the right decision from the lineswoman Sian Massey-Ellis.
09:01 PM GMT
72mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1
Forest are cranking up the pressure. First Awoniyi tries to back heel Elanga’s cut-back into the net but the ball hits his leg and is half cleared.
Anderson picks up the ball and fires an effort at goal which whistles past the post.
08:57 PM GMT
70mins: Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich Town 1 GOAL
Forest are back into it. Johnson is the deepest Ipswich defender and he plays Yates onside. And from Elanga’s delivery on the right-wing, the Forest captain thumps home a header.
08:56 PM GMT
68mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 1
Forest fans chant the name of Chris Wood and it might not be long till he is on the pitch.
08:54 PM GMT
66mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 1
Two changes by Ipswich.
OFF - Luongo & Broadhead
ON - Cajuste & Clarke
08:50 PM GMT
61mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 1
An immediate injection of urgency and intensity after the introduction of Anderson & Gibbs-White in Forest’s game. Should Ipswich drop deep or look to hit on the counter?
08:47 PM GMT
59mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 1
Two changes by Forest.
OFF - Danilo & Sangare
ON - Anderson & Gibbs-White
08:44 PM GMT
56mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 1
Morato is booked for a sliding challenge on Taylor. VAR take a look at it and deem it reckless but confirm that the yellow card is enough.
08:43 PM GMT
54mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 1 GOAL
From the resulting corner, the ball is whipped to the far post where Hirst is unmarked and he powers in a header through the legs of Sels.
The striker, who has had next to no service all match, delivers when it matters most.
08:41 PM GMT
52mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
This match is coming alive. Morsy is encouraged to shoot by the away fans and he hits a thumping shot which Sels has to tip over the bar for a corner.
08:39 PM GMT
50mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
Finally, a worthwhile effort from Forest as Elanga tests Palmer with a drive from the edge of the box after a brilliant run by Hudson-Odoi.
That’s Forest’s first shot on target in the match.
08:37 PM GMT
48mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
Encouraging start to the half by Ipswich. They are looking to be more aggressive and get the ball forward more quickly.
08:32 PM GMT
Second half: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
Two changes by Ipswich.
OFF - Tuanzebe & Burgess
ON - O’Shea & Greaves
08:26 PM GMT
‘Game is still waiting for lift-off’
This game is still waiting for lift-off, it’s fair to say.
Forest have just about shaded it but have been too slow and ponderous in their build-up play.
It only seems a matter of time until Nuno makes changes, with Morgan Gibbs-White, Chris Wood and Elliot Anderson on the bench.
Ipswich have displayed little attacking threat but Kieran McKenna does have the option of introducing leading scorer Liam Delap.
Not much in the way of entertainment for the new England manager Thomas Tuchel.
08:18 PM GMT
HALF TIME: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
Muted applause as the whistle blows for half time. Not much in goalmouth action. Elanga has looked lively for Forest but we are still waiting for that spark to ignite the match.
Perhaps it will come from someone on the bench.
08:16 PM GMT
45mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
Just one minute added on and I’m not sure where they got that from.
08:15 PM GMT
43mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
Poor pass back to Palmer by Burgess and the ball goes out of play. A gift of a corner for Forest. Can they capitalise?
No. Poor delivery by Elanga into the near post is cleared. Sums up the match.
08:09 PM GMT
37mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
If ever a game needed a goal, it is this one. It has been turgid stuff so far. Looks destined for extra time if this continues.
08:05 PM GMT
32mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
Sadly Mr Percy’s attempt to manifest a moment of interest (see 19:58 post) has not resulted in anything of note.
08:00 PM GMT
27mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
While Ipswich want to play with the ball on the deck, they haven’t been afraid to go direct to hit their front men. Unfortunately, the quality on those passes has not been there so far.
07:58 PM GMT
‘Forest struggling to carve out any clearcut chances’
Forest are dominating possession here but struggling to carve out any clear-cut chances.
Ibrahim Sangare flashed a header wide from Anthony Elanga’s corner but Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer has had little to do.
The biggest threat to Ipswich so far has been their propensity to play out from the back.
Usually when I send blog entries complaining over a lack of action something happens so fingers crossed it does the trick again.
07:54 PM GMT
21mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
Ipswich living dangerously on the ball. They like to play their way out of their area but Forest have come close to nipping the ball away.
07:49 PM GMT
17mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
Good starting position by Palmer allows him to punch clear Elanga’s delivery and Ipswich see out the danger.
07:48 PM GMT
16mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
First yellow card of the match goes to Luongo after bringing down Hudson-Odoi following a mazy dribble.
Free-kick on the right side of the box to be taken by Elanga....
07:45 PM GMT
14mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
Moreno is urged to shoot by the home fans when he picks up the ball on the edge of the box but there’s a reason why he hasn’t scored for the club as his shot sails over the bar.
07:41 PM GMT
9mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
Another corner for Forest and Elanga’s outswinger is met by Sangare but his flicked attempt drifts wide of the far post.
07:40 PM GMT
8mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
Elanga and Hudson-Odoi combine to create Forest’s first corner of the match. The ball is whipped in by the former and it is flicked on at the near post by Yates and evades everyone at the far post.
07:36 PM GMT
4mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
First effort on goal comes for the away side as the ball is worked into the box by Townsend and Broadhead directs his header at goal but Sels makes a comfortable save.
07:34 PM GMT
2mins: Nottingham Forest 0 Ipswich Town 0
As mentioned by our man at the ground, John Percy, Thomas Tuchel is at the City Ground with the England manager 11 days away from naming his first Three Lions squad.
07:31 PM GMT
KICK OFF
Here we go! Ipswich get the match underway!
07:28 PM GMT
A reminder of the teams
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Aina, Murillo, Morato, Alex, Danilo, Sangare, Elanga, Yates, Hudson-Odoi, Awoniyi.
Subs: Hennessey, Williams, Anderson, Wood, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, Jota Silva, Sosa, Boly.
Ipswich: Palmer, Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Burgess, Johnson, Jack Taylor, Morsy, Luongo, Townsend, Hirst, Broadhead.
Subs: Muric, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Cajuste, Philogene-Bidace, Clarke, Delap, Tom Taylor.
07:24 PM GMT
‘Matz Sels - clean sheet king’
There has been a lot of deserved praise for Forest’s recruitment over the last two seasons, particularly after all the noise around their first year back in the Premier League.
One shrewd signing who has rather gone under the radar is goalkeeper Matz Sels.
The Belgian international was a snip at just £5m from Strasbourg, a bargain in comparison to the likes of Liverpool’s Alisson Becker (£67m) and Manchester United’s Andre Onana (£47.5m).
Sels is Forest’s No. 1 but gets a rare chance in the FA Cup tonight as No. 2 goalkeeper Carlos Miguel - who has played in all the previous rounds - is injured.
The other goalkeeper, Wayne Hennessey, has not played a club game for nearly two years so Sels starts here.
Sels is leading on clean sheets in the Premier League so far with 11.
07:21 PM GMT
Forest captain Ryan Yates speaks
Really tough test, they have some fantastic players and one we are really looking forward to. It’s a competition we have done really well and performed really well in. We are going to give absolutely everything. We are not looking past this game and will give everything to get the result.
Expecting a very lively game, get the crowd on their feet and hopefully an exciting one that we can get on top of. We are just taking each game as it comes because we know how difficult it is. It’s Premier League opposition not only tonight but going forward if we win as well.
07:10 PM GMT
‘Premier League survival is the clear priority for Ipswich’
Eight changes for Ipswich from head coach Kieran McKenna here, and it does appear that Premier League survival is the clear priority.
Ipswich are currently 18th in the table, five points from safety with a poor goal difference. They face Crystal Palace away this weekend and then host Forest on Saturday week.
If making so many changes pays off, it will be regarded as a masterstroke, but if Ipswich fail to reach the quarter-finals those 3,000 travelling fans could have cause for complaint.
Potential nightmare for TV and radio commentators tonight, by the way. The Forest defence includes Murillo, Morato and Moreno.
07:02 PM GMT
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06:57 PM GMT
‘Tuchel is in attendance’
England manager Thomas Tuchel is in attendance at the City Ground tonight for this FA Cup tie.
Tuchel has a number of players who he could be monitoring, but not many of them are starting.
Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson are on the bench, while Ipswich’s Liam Delap is also a substitute.
Could there be a big opportunity for Callum Hudson-Odoi here? Tuchel had him at Chelsea but it still seems a stretch, as Hudson-Odoi has not featured for the England national team since 2019.
06:53 PM GMT
Ipswich starting XI
06:52 PM GMT
Forest starting XI
06:34 PM GMT
A place in the quarter-finals at stake
Hello and welcome to coverage of the final FA Cup fifth round tie between Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town at the City Ground.
The home side have enjoyed an impressive league season, sitting third in the Premier League table and will be aiming to book their spot in the quarter-finals where an away trip to Brighton awaits.
But Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo does not believe his side should be classed as favourites when they take on their relegation-threatened opponents.
He said: “Ipswich are a good team. Looking back at the fixture we had here in the Premier League and how hard it is.
“We have been looking at them as a team, they have energy, good players and are very intense so the expectation is a tough match.
“We have to play the game. There are no favourites in a football match. There are two teams that will play against each other in a fair way.
“You look at the data and see there is no difference (between the top teams and lower teams) in the games. There is no belief that the players run more based on their opponent, it is not about that.”
Meanwhile Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna is looking for a reaction from his players after conceding three goals from set-pieces against Manchester United to lose 3-2 last week. McKenna was frustrated by their failings at two corners and a free-kick and has highlighted to his players where they have to improve.
“We always go through the game in its entirety,” he said. “Conceding set-plays was the biggest disappointment and biggest problem on the night.
“But there are also a lot of other things in the game you can learn from, some things we can do better, but it is a big occasion playing at Old Trafford. We’ve been through the areas which are most important and we are looking forward to Monday night now.”
