Brighton 0-0 Nottingham Forest (3-4 on pens): High-flying Forest win third straight FA Cup penalty shootout to reach semi-finals in dream season

After the last game between these teams, Fabian Hurzeler set fire to his tactics sheet. After this one, the BBC might have burnt the tape were it not for the compelling brutality of penalty shootouts and the inevitability of Nottingham Forest winning them.

For the third consecutive round of the FA Cup, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side found themselves in such a lottery and as with the previous two it went their way.

To Exeter City and Ipswich Town, we can now add Brighton to the list of sides who have come close to stopping the red train only to lose in the exact same manner. Forest’s reward is a first semi-final since 1991.

The hero of the latest victory was their goalkeeper, Matz Sels, who courtesy of a dull match had little to do in the previous couple of hours. But in the shootout, he was decisive, saving kicks from Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez and building the platform upon which Ryan Yates nailed the winner.

‘It means a lot,’ Nuno said. ‘It is a huge moment for us as a club, our journey, to enjoy it. It is a huge competition.’

For Brighton and Hurzeler, there was none of the humiliation associated with their 7-0 defeat against Forest two months ago. But nor will there be a third semi-final in this competition in the space of six years, so it will sting.

Ryan Yates scored the decisive spot-kick in the shootout after Matz Sels saved two

Youngster Jack Hinshelwood saw his low effort kept out by Sels in front of Brighton’s fans

‘No difference,’ was Hurzeler’s assessment when asked to compare those defeats. ‘Two big losses. We have to accept it, even if we don’t want to accept it.

‘The main thing now is to show a reaction. We can be disappointed today but tomorrow we keep the head up. We have proved that we can come back.’

That they have – since the 7-0, they had won six of seven games, with a draw against Manchester City thrown in. After this one, they will resume their brilliant chase for European qualification against Aston Villa on Wednesday.

As for Forest and Nuno, their season was going nicely enough in the league without the need for shiny cups. But they now have grand possibilities on two fronts, even if the suspicion persists that a Cup run is lower on the agenda than Champions League qualification.

That much was suggested by Nuno’s selection here, or rather through two of the three changes he made to the side which beat Ipswich before the break.

The absence of Chris Wood was forced by his injury during international duty, but the decisions to put Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga on the bench hinted at priorities being placed elsewhere for the time-being. As Nuno confirmed both before and after the game, his intention is to use the FA Cup as a ‘reward for players without minutes in the Premier League’.

Wayne Rooney, working on punditry duty, was not the only figure left somewhat bemused by the stance. Speaking at half-time he said: ‘I am shocked. It’s beyond belief for me.’

But all is well that ends well, even if Nuno’s team found this one substantially tougher than the previous gathering of these players.

Forest were controversially awarded a penalty after a handball from Kaoru Mitoma

But referee Peter Bankes overturned his decision after being advised to check his monitor

Morgan Gibbs-White tested Verbruggen as both sides exchanged efforts in the first half

Brighton suffered an injury blow in the second half after Georginio Rutter was forced off

Where Forest led 3-0 after 32 minutes in February, by half-time here it was goalless, with little worth terming as a good chance.

Taiwo Awoniyi, in for the injured Chris Wood, had the best of them when Jan Paul van Hecke misread the deflection off a through-ball from Ola Aina and gave the striker a tiny window to shoot for the far post. Bart Verbruggen was comfortable enough in saving with his feet.

At the other end, Yasin Ayari, Pervis Estupinan and Carlos Baleba seemed to be shooting on sight between 25 and 35 yards from goal. The latter succeeded only in smashing a cameraman’s lens behind the goal.

At the risk of being facetious, we might suggest that was an act of mercy for his memory card – this was one of those halves.

Neither manager made a change at the break, though the second period was immediately more entertaining. Georginio Rutter set the pace by grazing the bar and Jack Hinshelwood botched a free header soon after, which would rank as Brighton’s best opportunity of the match.

In response, Verbruggen had to tip over a drive from Morgan Gibbs-White before an odd decision was made to rescind a Forest penalty. 

The source of the issue was a wild lunge from Kaoru Mitoma that missed both the ball and Elliot Anderson, but his arm appeared to swipe away the midfielder’s standing foot as he went to ground.

Peter Bankes gave a penalty but was referred to the screen by the VAR and changed his mind. Quite why that would be is anyone’s guess.

Joao Pedro looked to have won it in extra-time but his finish was chalked off for offside

Nottingham Forest’s fairy tale season gets better and better after reaching the FA Cup last four

In among those surges, Nuno sent on Hudson-Odoi and Elanga and Forest improved, but not enough to avoid extra-time. 

Brighton were stronger upon the resumption, with a Diego Gomez header nudged over by Sels and a Joao Pedro goal correctly disallowed for offside, but penalties could not be avoided.

Standing on familiar terrain, Elliot Anderson, Hudson-Odoi, Nikola Milenkovic and Yates all scored for Forest. Neco Williams did not – by skying over the bar, it was the only kick Forest have missed out of 14 in those three shootouts.

For Brighton, Joao Pedro, Brajan Gruda and Lewis Dunk did what was needed; Hinshelwood and Gomez could not, with both men kept out by Sels.