- Forest book place in play-off final after 3-2 penalty shootout win over Sheffield United
- Reds to face Huddersfield Town on Sunday 29th May for place in Premier League
Head Coach Steve Cooper kept an unchanged side from Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Bramall Lane for tonight’s play-off semi-final second leg at The City Ground against Sheffield United.
The visitors made two changes from Saturday with Rhys Norrington-Davies and George Baldock starting in place of the injured Enda Stevens and Ben Osborn who dropped to the bench.
It was a warm and muggy evening on Trentside with the stadium packed to the rafters and the pitch in perfect playing condition.
After a cagey opening ten minutes, the first sight of goal came when Blades captain John Egan headed a long throw from Jack Robinson wide to the right of Brice Samba’s post.
Shortly afterwards the Blades broke after intercepting a Joe Worrall pass on halfway and when Morgan Gibbs-White crossed, an unchallenged Iliman Ndiaye forced a crucial save from Samba at his feet.
Forest then forced their first corner of the match which was cleared but The Reds were being forced to defend in the early stages as the rain started to fall heavily on Trentside.
Then on nineteen minutes, Forest took the lead with a lightening attack. Scott McKenna’s long and precise ball found Sam Surridge in the inside left channel behind Chris Basham and his cross found the onrushing Brennan Johnson who expertly steered the ball confidently past Wes Foderingham to put The Reds 1-0 up on the evening and 3-1 up on aggregate. It was Johnson’s 19th goal of the season and the first time a player had scored in both legs of a play-off semi-final since his Dad, David, did the same in the 2003 play-off semi-final against the same opposition.
Another excellent Forest move shortly afterwards saw Surridge’s shot blocked and then James Garner swept another attempt wide as The Reds suddenly found their attacking threat to put The Blades on the back foot.
Just before the half hour mark, Ndiaye’s shot from the edge of the box was comfortably gathered by Samba.
Ten minutes before the break, tempers flared after Paul Heckingbottom forcefully pushed the ball into Djed Spence’s stomach in returning the ball for a throw-in. The Sheffield United Head Coach was booked by referee Michael Oliver.
A minute before the break, Oliver Norwood sent a fierce shot over Samba’s crossbar but The Reds nearly crated a clear opening right on the whistle when Johnson burst through on the right but his cross, which was heading for an unmarked Surridge, was blocked by Egan.
HALF-TIME: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Sheffield United (agg 3-1)
It had been a red-hot atmosphere at The City Ground in the first half, further stoked by the incident involving Heckingbottom, with Jack Robinson also receiving a hostile reception from the home crowd after his pre-match comments.
Sheffield United kicked off the second half defending the Trent End and had the first effort when John Fleck dragged a shot wide, but just two minutes into the half they drew level on the evening when Morgan Gibbs-White swept home from a Sander Berge cross.
The visitors were immediately back on the attack forcing three successive corners, one of which saw Jack Robinson’s header blocked by his own man in Iliman Ndiaye and The Reds were forced to defend. The Blades forded another corner shortly afterwards but this time Robinson headed wide under pressure.
Jack Robinson was booked for his third heavy challenge of the evening on Brennan Johnson as the match moved towards the hour mark with the visitors forcing another corner which came to nothing.
Forest then forced their own corner as they looked to respond after the spell of heavy pressure but James Garner’s flag kick floated out for a throw-in.
The home crowd were singing repeatedly in support of The Reds as they looked to regain some of their attacking verve and good play by Philip Zinckernagel on the right won another corner but the Blades managed to clear.
Robinson’s long throws continue to be a threat for the visitors but Forest were defending manfully.
Head Coach Steve Cooper then made his first substitution with twenty minutes to go when Joe Lolley replaced Zinckernagel.
With fifteen minutes left, Sheffield United took the lead on the night and drew level on aggregate when John Fleck turned in a cross from George Baldock after Jack Colback slipped.
Steve Cooper then immediately made his second change of the evening as Keinan Davis replaced Sam Surridge.
Gibbs-White then crossed threateningly but Ndiaye bundled his shot over the bar. Forest responded with a dangerous low cross from Spence from the right which was cleared before McKenna’s errant back pass caused some concerns in going out for a corner past Samba.
Davis then ran from deep into Blades territory before Yates won a corner but the flag kick was deflected wide for a goal kick.
The visitors were still having the majority of possession but Forest attacked when Davis’s cross was turned goalwards by Lolley and Rhys Norrington-Davies sliced the ball wide for another Forest corner. This time from Lolley’s delivery, Cook headed over.
Into the last five minutes, Davis threatened again but his fierce shot was blocked by Robinson and then Garner headed over as Forest started to push for a late winner.
Lolley then nearly evaded Basham but the centre half countered attacked himself, before Davis nearly released Lolley at the other end as the match neared a thrilling conclusion.
Worrall was booked for fouling Norrington-Davies as the match went into two minutes of injury time and Garner had a shot defect wide for a corner as The Reds nearly found an opening.
The Blades defended the corner and referee Michael Oliver blew for full time with the tie all-square at 3-3.
FULL-TIME: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Sheffield United (agg 3-3)
Neither coach made any further changes as the match moved into the first period of extra time.
Sheffield United had the first effort of extra time when Morgan Gibbs-White shot powerfully on the run straight at Brice Samba.
Five minutes into extra time, Keinan Davis forced Wes Foderingham into a save at his near post after Joe Lolley fed Brennan Johnson on the right to cross.
The Blades responded with a corner when George Baldock’s cross was blocked but Jack Robinson headed wide on the stretch from the flag kick.
Forest won a corner on the left but referee Oliver deemed there wasn’t sufficient time to take it as a tense first half of extra time ended with the match still level 3-3 on aggregate.
The Reds were attacking the Trent End in the second half of extra time and it was Forest who created the first clear opening when Lolley and Johnson combined but Lolley was unable to get a clan connection on the pull back Straight afterwards, Johnson’s spectacular volley was saved by Foderingham as Forest stated he last fifteen minutes on the front foot.
The visitors made their first changes of the evening when Ben Osborn replaced George Baldock and Conor Hourihane replaced John Fleck with twelve minutes remaining.Spence then flashed a cross across the face of goal after more excellent forward play by Davis as Forest continued to push.
Steve Cook was booked for fouling Gibbs-White after clever play by the forward with just under ten minutes remaining on the clock. Sander Berge then shot just wide from distance.
With five minutes of extra time remaining, Samba produced an excellent save at close-range to keep the tie level as Ndiaye broke free inside the area and shot goalwards.
James Garner made way for Cafu in the dying embers before United saw penalty appeals waved away by Oliver after rounding Samba and going down.
With the scores still level, the game went to a penalty shootout.
AFTER EXTRA-TIME: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Sheffield United (agg 3-3)
The penalty shootout began with Norwood seeing his spot-kick saved by Samba. After Johnson scored Forest's first penalty, Samba then pushed Hourihane's spot kick onto the crossbar.
Cafu, Berge, Cook and Ndiaye all scored their penalties meaning that Lolley had to score to send Forest to Wembley, but he missed from 12 yards.
But Samba was the hero as he saved Gibbs-White's penalty, diving to his right to make a third save and confirm the win for The Reds.
Forest will now face Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 29th May, kick-off 4.30pm.
MATCH STATISTICS
Nottingham Forest (3-4-1-2): Brice Samba; Joe Worrall (c), Steve Cook, Scott McKenna; Djed Spence, Ryan Yates, James Garner (Cafu 119'), Jack Colback; Philip Zinckernagel (Joe Lolley, 70’); Brennan Johnson, Sam Surridge (Keinan Davis 76’)
Substitutes not used: Ethan Horvath (gk), Tobias Figueiredo, Richie Laryea, Alex Mighten
Bookings: Worrall (90’)
Goals: Johnson (19’)
Sheffield United (3-4-2-1): Wes Foderingham; Chris Basham, John Egan (c), Jack Robinson; Rhys Norrington-Davies, Oliver Norwood, John Fleck (Conor Hourihane 108’), George Baldock (Ben Osborn 108’); Sander Berge; Morgan Gibbs-White, Iliman Ndiaye
Substitutes not used: Adam Davies (gk), Ben Davies, Filip Uremovic, William Osula, Daniel Jebbison
Bookings: Paul Heckingbottom (37’), Robinson (57’)
Goals: Gibbs-White (47’), Fleck (75’)
Referee: Michael Oliver
Attendance: 29,015 including 2,003 Sheffield United supporters
Possession: 48-52
Shots: 13-20
On target: 4-6
Corners: 6-8