Nottingham Forest cruelly exited The Vitality Women’s FA Cup at the second-round stage on Sunday afternoon as they were beaten 5-4 on penalties by Wolverhampton Wanderers after the game had ended 2-2 after extra-time.
Rosie Axten had put The Reds ahead shortly after the break but Nyah Edwards drew Wolves level only 16 minutes later. A mix-up at the back saw the hosts take the lead four minutes into extra-time but a coolly taken spot kick from Axten 13 minutes later ensured the game went to penalties. But as the shoot-out headed to sudden death Olivia Cook heartbreakingly saw her penalty saved and Wolves progressed through to the third-round.
It was a shaky first-half of football for Forest as the team attempted to get a firm grip on their first game since December 2020. But still the first opportunity of the game fell to The Reds after Axten slipped a pass through to Charlotte Steggles on the 4th minute. Steggles charged into the box before laying the ball back out to Laura-Jayne O’Neill who saw her cross turned shot held by the ‘keeper.
Wolves began to rack up their shots on goal tally over the rest of the first-half as they swarmed the Forest final third on numerous occasions but with the chances being hit directly at Aguirre the Forest shot-stopper ensured the game was even up at the break.
Forest fell into their stride in the second-half as they piled the pressure onto Wolves and went searching for the opener.
Sydnie Naylor came close on the 48th minute as she picked up the ball and smacked a hard shot from distance but her effort flew just over the goal.
But The Reds didn’t have to wait long for their opener as Axten put them ahead only a minute later. Charlotte Greengrass brought the ball down just inside the Wolves half and picked out Hayley James who then played a great pass through to Axten. The Forest forward then carried the ball into the box before placing her shot through the ‘keeper’s legs and into the back of the net.
Forest nearly made it two six minutes later after James brought down Sophia Bonser’s cross inside the box but effort was blocked inside the six-yard are. Despite Naylor’s best attempts at forcing the ball over the line the clearance was eventually made.
The hosts drew level on the 65th minute as Edwards received the ball just outside the Forest box. She knocked it away from Cook and powered a shot towards goal that was proved to be too strong for Aguirre to keep out.
Naylor had an opportunity to re-gain Forest’s lead on the 85th minute after she got on the end of a great flicked pass from Poppy Scholefield but her first-time shot was strongly blocked.
The game headed into extra-time after neither side could find a late winning goal and after only four minutes Wolves were ahead. Cook had attempted to play a pass back to Aguirre inside the box but an on-running Jade Cross read the pass well and chased it down. Both Aguirre and Cross got to the ground to meet the ball first but before either could get a touch it rolled between them both and into an empty net.
But The Reds continued to battle for a deserving equaliser and were rewarded three minutes into added time as the referee pointed to the penalty spot after the ball was handled in the area. Axten made no mistake from the spot as she blasted her penalty safely past the ‘keeper.
Forest turned up the heat in the second-half of extra-time as they went searching for a late winner and came agonisingly close on the 113th minute but Scholefield saw her shot roll marginally wide of the goal.
Despite the late pressure from The Reds a winning goal could not be found and the game went to penalty kicks.
The penalty shoot-out headed to sudden death after both teams had scored four out of their first five penalties with Lyndsey Harkin missing for Forest and Anna Price for Wolves. Kelly Darby netted the hosts’ sixth spot-kick but Cook’s was kept out by Rebecca Thomas and Wolves claimed the victory.
Forest: Aguirre, Hewitt (Middleton 106’), Harkin (c), Cook, O’Neill, Greengrass (Moncaster 84’), James, Naylor (Brown 112’), Steggles (Tudor 78’), Bonser (Scholefield 71’), Axten
Unused subs: Walters, Dexter, Fisher, McKechnie
Goals: Axten 49’, 118’
Penalties scored in the shootout: Brown, Moncaster, James, Axten
Wolves: Thomas, Darby, E. Cross, Morphet, Holmes, Price (c), Walker, George (Evans 106’), J. Cross, Edwards (Palmer 67’), Miller (Dicken 100’)
Unused subs: Conod, Jennings, Paraiso, Chase, Conlan, Johnson
Goals: Edwards 65’, Cook (o.g.) 94’
Penalties scored in the shootout: Morphet, Walker, Palmer, Dicken, Darby