Nottingham Forest Knock Out Ipswich Town in Tense FA Cup Shootout to Reach Quarter-Finals

Drama Unfolds at City Ground as Nottingham Forest Triumph in FA Cup

If there’s one thing football fans never get tired of, it’s the high-stakes tension of a penalty shootout. That’s exactly what unfolded at the City Ground on a chilly evening, with Nottingham Forest edging past Ipswich Town to book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals. This wasn’t just a run-of-the-mill match. The stakes were high, nerves even higher, and the cup magic didn’t disappoint.

It took until nine minutes into the second half for the deadlock to finally break. Ipswich’s George Hirst pounced on a defensive lapse and fired home, sending the away fans into dreamland. For a team gunning for a fairytale run, it looked like their steely defensive approach might just pull off an upset. But Forest weren’t keen to play the role of the cup victim. Captain Ryan Yates, always a threat in the air, found the net with a well-timed header just fifteen minutes later. The stadium erupted—suddenly, it was game on and anyone’s tie.

Sels Steals the Show in Nail-Biting Finish

Both sides had their moments to snatch it. Callum Hudson-Odoi nearly produced a bit of magic, only to be denied by the woodwork. Ipswich kept pushing, eager to grab the spotlight, while Forest mounted attack after attack with their fans urging them on. Extra time felt like two teams mentally bracing for the lottery of penalties, with every misplaced pass and mistimed tackle met with groans and yells from the stands.

The shootout was a masterclass in nerve. Nine penalties in a row hit the back of the net, with both sets of keepers guessing but not quite reaching. But then—Jack Taylor for Ipswich stepped up knowing he had to score. Nottingham’s Matz Sels, not exactly a household name before this, guessed right and parried the ball away. The Forest crowd exploded into celebration, their team through 5-4 on penalties.

This win means more than just a spot in the next round. It’s Forest’s first quarter-final appearance in three years, a sign maybe that their cup form is back on track. And with Brighton and Hove Albion coming next, the excitement isn’t fading any time soon. As for Sels, he may have just written himself into Forest FA Cup folklore with that one cold-blooded save.

There were plenty of ‘what if’ moments for both sides—missed sitters, hits off the bar, last-ditch tackles. But when all was said and done, it was Nottingham’s night. Now, the anticipation only grows to see how far this cup adventure can go.