Nottingham Forest knock Newcastle United out of Carabao Cup after penalty controversy

Two, late goals in a crazy period of added time saw Nottingham Forest dump Newcastle United out of the Carabao Cup tonight.

The Red’s took the lead in the second minute through Daryl Murphy and it looked like that would be enough to win it, only for Solomon Rondon to level for Newcastle in the 92nd minute.

The game looked destined for a penalty shoot-out but Matty Cash scored two minutes later before Gil Dias wrapped up the win in the 97th minute.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But the Premier League side were left feeling robbed after referee Jeremy Simpson turned down strong penalty shouts after Ayoze Perez appeared to be fouled by the goalkeeper in between both goals.

It left the Newcastle player seething at full-time and needing to be dragged away from confronting the officials by boss Rafa Benitez.

Forest started on the front foot and soon took the lead. Sam Byram skipped down the right wing and from the byline, he crossed for Daryl Murphy who headed in from close range against his former club.

Joe Lolley was looking very lively on the flank for Forest and he produced a moment of brilliance to cut inside and work his way past three or four Newcastle defenders but, as he approached the edge of the area, Newcastle managed to stop him in his tracks.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With just under ten minutes to go in the first half, Newcastle almost drew level. A well delivered corner found Joselu in the middle and the burly centre forward rose well but could only direct his header just wide of the far post.

Early in the second half, Murphy almost grabbed his second after latching onto a parried ball by Darlow but his goal bound effort was blocked by defender Federico Fernandez.

Joao Carvalho, Forest’s big money summer signing, gave a glimpse of why he is so highly rated after trying an outrageous chip from inside the area which Darlow had to be at his best to claw away.

Newcastle were struggling to break Forest down with the Red’s ‘keeper, Luke Steele, rarely being called into action. The more men Rafa Benitez’s team committed forward however, left them more open at the back and Gil Dias nearly exploited that in the 78th minute but his curling effort dipped just wide of the far post.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the dying embers of the game, the fourth official indicated an additional six minutes and suddenly the contest sparked back into life.

First, Newcastle drew level in the 92nd minute. Solomon Rondon broke the offside trap and received an Ayoze Perez through ball before finishing fantastically across Steele and into the bottom corner.

It looked like that had sent the game to penalties but Forest had other ideas. In the 94th minute, Darlow parried out Dias’ cross into the path of Matty Cash and he smashed the ball into the back of the net to spark scenes of wild celebration from the Forest faithful.

Newcastle looked shell shocked and there was still time for Karanka’s men to add another. Gil Dias added a beautiful third in the 97th minute, chipping the ball over Darlow with an exquisite lob, after Newcastle had a strong penalty appeal turned down.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

FOREST XI (4-2-3-1): Steele (GK); Byram (Darikwa 39’), Hefele, Fox, Robinson; Bridcutt, Watson ©; Lolley (Osborn 58’), Carvalho (Cash 82’), Dias; Murphy

SUBS NOT USED: Pantilimon (GK), Figueiredo, Goncalves, Appiah.

NEWCASTLE UTD XI: Darlow (GK), Clark ©, Sung-Yeung, Schar, Muto (Murphy 76’), Kenedy, Fernandez (Perez 68’), Joselu (Rondon 82’), Sterry, Atsu, Longstaff

SUBS NOT USED: Elliot (GK), Dummett, Diame, Yedlin

REFEREE: Jeremy Simpson.

MOM: Michael Hefele.

ATTENDANCE: 13,942 (2,617 away).