Nottingham Forest reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 34 years as Belgian goalkeeper Matz Sels starred in a 4-3 penalty shoot-out win over Brighton on Saturday.
After the quarter-final clash at the Amex Stadium finished 0-0 following extra-time, Sels took centre-stage to send Forest to Wembley.
Sels saved spot-kicks from Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez and, although Forest’s Neco Williams blazed over, Ryan Yates held his nerve to stroke home the winner.
Forest also needed shoot-outs to get past third-tier Exeter and top-flight strugglers Ipswich in the fourth and fifth rounds respectively this season.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are enjoying a remarkable season that could culminate in Champions League qualification and a first FA Cup final appearance since 1991.
“It was such a stressful moment. Matz saved us again. He’s been doing really well. It’s the third time and we’ve always been successful. Credit to him,” Nuno said.
“We are so happy. It’s a huge moment for all of us to share with our fans.
“We have to focus on the Premier League but it’s going to be a beautiful moment for all of us on our journey.”
Forest, who last won the FA Cup in 1959, have climbed to third in the Premier League, leaving them within touching distance of appearing in the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81.
They are five points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea and six ahead of fifth-placed Manchester City with nine games to go.
Brian Clough’s men were the last Forest team to make the FA Cup semi-finals, beating West Ham before losing the final to Tottenham.
Forest join Crystal Palace in the last four after the Eagles won 3-0 at Fulham in Saturday’s other quarter-final.
On Sunday, Manchester City travel to Bournemouth and Aston Villa visit Championship side Preston, the last club from outside the top tier in this season’s tournament.
Forest crushed Brighton 7-0 at the City Ground in Premier League in February, a result that ranked as the Seagulls’ heaviest defeat for 67 years.
Since that humbling loss, Brighton had won four times in a five-game unbeaten run in the league, but they were unable to stop Forest’s penalty mastery.
Nuno surprisingly dropped wingers Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga to the bench in a move that appeared to prioritise Tuesday’s league clash with Manchester United.
Forest were also without Chris Wood after their leading scorer suffered a hip injury on international duty with New Zealand.
Wood’s replacement Taiwo Awoniyi went close to an early opener, accelerating on to Ola Aina’s pass for a stinging strike that Bart Verbruggen saved at his near post.
But, shorn of their best attacking options, Forest struggled to make headway after that.
Brighton were hardly much more incisive, with Pervis Estupinan’s long-range blast pushed away by Sels.
Carlos Baleba was inches away from putting the Seagulls ahead on the stroke of half-time, lashing just wide from the edge of the area.
After their tepid start, Forest finally showed signs of life when Morgan Gibbs-White’s strike from distance forced a superb save from Verbruggen.
But Nuno had seen enough and sent on Hudson-Odoi and Elanga.
Verbruggen repelled Elanga’s close-range effort to force the tie into extra-time.
Gomez nearly won it for Brighton in the closing stages, but his header from Brajan Gruda’s cross was brilliantly saved by Sels, foreshadowing the keeper’s heroics in the shoot-out.
AFP
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