‘Integrity of FA Cup in question’ – Forest edge past Blackpool

Premier League side Nottingham Forest needed extra-time to see off League One’s Blackpool in a thrilling FA Cup third-round replay at Bloomfield Road.

But Blackpool fought back in style at a raucous Bloomfield Road.

Albie Morgan, whose poor backpass had led to Danilo’s goal, pulled one back with a great strike from 25 yards before substitute Kyle Joseph headed in from close range to make it 2-2 to set up a frantic finish.

Then, in the eighth minute of additional time, Blackpool almost won it but Orel Mangala made an incredible block on the goalline after Karamoko Dembele had gone round Forest goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

Early in the second period of extra-time, the visitors retook the lead as Ryan Yates’ low cross from the left was turned in by Chris Wood for what proved to be the winning goal.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will now play away at Bristol City on Friday, 26 January in the fourth round.

Forest’s touching tribute to Kouyate

There was a touching tribute to Forest midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, who had been with his country Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations but left the camp earlier on Wednesday following the death of his father.

After Forest’s first goal, Omobamidele held up a shirt that read ‘Thinking of you, Kouyate’ with his team-mate’s number 8 on the back. The Forest players all posed with the tribute shirt after the match.

“Cheikhou has been through a tough time, he lost his father,” said Espirito Santo. “We heard the news before the game and wanted to show we care and our thoughts are with him.

“He is a very important guy in the dressing room and on the pitch with his experience and his knowledge, and our thoughts are with him.”

The first match saw Blackpool take a two-goal lead, only for Forest to fight back and make it 2-2 to force the replay . At Bloomfield Road the exact opposite happened with the top-flight outfit letting their advantage slip.

There was no sign of the drama to come in the first half, when Forest looked in control.

Republic of Ireland international defender Omobamidele, on his Forest debut following an £11m move from Norwich City on September’s transfer deadline day, volleyed in at the back post after Nicolas Dominguez’s corner had been flicked on by Yates.

Danilo doubled Forest’s lead within a minute of the second half after a poor backpass from Morgan, with home goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw having to go off after getting injured saving the shot from which Danilo converted the rebound.

But Morgan made amends with a stunning strike from 25 yards to give Blackpool, eighth in League One, hope of causing a shock, before Joseph’s close-range header made it 2-2 and set up a thrilling finish.

Wood scored with 10 minutes of extra-time left to put Forest back ahead, but there was still time for more drama.

Substitute goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell came up for a corner in the 122nd minute, only for Forest to quickly counter, but they could not take advantage as a 60-yard shot went wide.

Forest had been beaten 4-1 at Bloomfield Road against Blackpool in last season’s FA Cup third round, but they were able to hold on to their lead to ensure there would not be a repeat as they advanced in a thrilling match.

For Forest, it was a welcome and hard-fought win after a tough week .

On Monday it was announced they, along with Everton, had been charged with breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules and could face a points deduction that would threaten their future in the league.

But they still are in the FA Cup and avoided what would have been an embarrassing exit.

‘This is why I love the FA Cup’

“This is the FA Cup and that’s why it is so special,” added Espirito Santo. “It allows every team to show, play and fight. We had our problems but all credit to Blackpool.

“This is why I love the FA Cup. It is very special and we have to go for it. It was tough and very demanding but we did the job.

“At the beginning of the second half I thought the game was over, we made mistakes and that allowed Blackpool to get back into the game, but in extra-time we showed we deserved to win.”

Blackpool boss Neil Critchley had before the game challenged his side to “create a memory in a magical competition” and afterwards was proud of his players’ efforts.

He said: “To go all that way and to not have anything to show for it is hard to take. Over the course of 120 minutes you couldn’t really tell the difference between the two teams.

“I thought we were brilliant, had a real go and made it an exciting cup tie. The atmosphere was fantastic and to come back from 2-0 down shows the spirit, I’m just bitterly disappointed we didn’t take it to penalties.

“I love the cup and we did the competition proud. We’ve earned Forest’s respect and I take that as a massive positive.”

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