Penalty Drama as Nottingham Forest Squeeze Past Exeter City
Nottingham Forest’s fourth-round clash with League One side Exeter City looked like it might become an FA Cup nightmare. After a dramatic 2-2 draw stretched forty-five minutes beyond regulation, the match was decided by a 4-2 penalty shootout that saw Forest scrape into the next round. Still, a cloud hung over the celebrations as supporters sounded off about a high-profile signing who cost the club £9.3 million—and whose performance, they argued, nearly cost Forest the tie.
Forest’s manager had made sweeping changes, resting nearly the entire starting eleven seen in their most recent Premier League match. That gamble backfired early when Exeter’s Josh Magennis dispatched two goals past a makeshift Forest defense. Even with Ramón Sosa grabbing a goal in reply and Taiwo Awoniyi eventually bringing Forest level, there was no free-flowing confidence on display. The hosts, playing in front of a packed and noisy St. James Park, made things uncomfortable from start to finish.
Fan Frustration Boils Over
One Forest player, in particular, caught the brunt of fans’ anger—a fact impossible to ignore across social media and message boards after the final whistle. Despite the importance of the night, supporters described the £9.3m man’s display as "like playing with 10 men." With nerves jangling throughout and the team lacking fluidity, many wondered how someone with a price tag that high could have so little impact, especially against lower-league opposition. This wasn’t just normal grumbling; it bordered on disbelief and genuine frustration, with supporters openly questioning the club’s recruitment and the player’s role moving forward.
The situation only got more tense late in the game. Exeter’s Ed Turns was shown red for a reckless challenge on Morgan Gibbs-White, raising Forest’s hopes of pushing for a winner. But despite the extra man advantage, Forest didn’t create the hoped-for late onslaught. Instead, the game drifted into penalties—where, thankfully for the traveling fans, Forest held their nerve better than their hosts.
- Josh Magennis netted twice for Exeter, underlining Forest’s defensive confusion.
- Ramón Sosa and Taiwo Awoniyi got the goals to keep Forest in the contest.
- Ed Turns' red card handed Forest a numerical edge, but it barely helped their attack.
- Forest’s penalty-takers were clinical, sealing a 4-2 win in the shootout.
The drama didn't stop at the end of normal time. Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi—one of the side’s more reliable threats up front—was stretchered off the pitch in second-half stoppage time, immediately raising fears about his fitness for the next round and their crucial Premier League fixtures. The sight of Awoniyi in pain did little to lift spirits in a squad that looked tired and exposed by the nights’ events.
Despite punching their ticket to a fifth-round match versus Ipswich Town, Forest’s mood is fragile. Progress is progress, but as fan grumbling over the Nottingham Forest squad’s costly misfire shows, cup runs haven’t smoothed over deeper worries about investment—and whether some expensive signings can ever deliver on their promise.