Wrexham reached the fourth round of the FA Cup by stunning Premier League Nottingham Forest on penalties after a six-goal thriller at the Racecourse Ground.
Arthur Okonkwo was the hero for Wrexham with penalty saves to deny Igor Jesus and Omari Hutchinson, giving the Championship side a 4-3 victory on spot-kicks after Josh Windass, Callum Doyle, George Thomason and Jay Rodriguez had converted from the spot.
In front of Hollywood owner Ryan Reynolds, Wrexham took control through first-half goals from Liberato Cacace and Oliver Rathbone.
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Liberato Cacace scored Wrexham’s opening goal in a thrilling contest (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Reynolds was trading high fives and hugs as Phil Parkinson’s side looked to be crusing into the fourth round and it should have been three – and possibly contest over – when Sam Smith scampered through the Forest half unchecked but failed to beat Matz Sels’ outstretched leg.
Forest boss Sean Dyche made a triple substitution at half-time with Neco Williams, Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolas Dominguez sent on to salvage the situation and Jesus cut the deficit before Dominic Hyam’s diving header restored Wrexham’s two-goal advantage with 16 minutes remaining.
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Ollie Rathbone put Wrexham into a 2-0 lead before half-time
Forest looked dead and buried but substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi swept home 60 seconds later to set up a grandstand finish at the Racecourse.
Hudson-Odoi took the tie into extra-time in fantastic fashion, taking a touch on his chest and lofting a perfect volley over Okonkwo, but Wrexham were not to be denied in the shootout as they claimed their first top-flight FA Cup scalp for 26 years.
Parkinson: A rollercoaster game
Phil Parkinson hailed Wrexham’s “special” FA Cup giant-killing triumph over Nottingham Forest and expressed his delight that the Welsh club’s Hollywood owner Ryan Reynolds was there to see it.
“I had a chat with him before the game and it was great to see him over here with his family,” manager Parkinson said about the Deadpool actor.
“I think Ryan’s mum was here tonight, which was for the first time. So it’s really special and I hope they’ve enjoyed the night.
“I’m sure that on the flight back home tonight, they’ll be having a few glasses of wine to celebrate.”
On the game, Parkinson added: “We had to rally the troops a bit in the break, because I think the whole ground had gone flat.
“You get that feeling ‘have we lost our best chance to get through and beat a Premier League team’?
“But the lads rallied themselves, there was a lot of tired legs, and credit to both sides for putting on such a good game after that busy Christmas schedule.
“It’s a huge night for us and I’m pleased for this group of players to write their own bit of history in the club’s rich heritage in the FA Cup.”
Okonkwo: Really happy to come up with the saves
Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo to TNT Sports:
“Thankfully we have good analysis people to help us out and I looked at it before the game.
“Really happy to come up with the two saves and win the game.
“The manager spoke to us before the game and told us the history of the club and we’re able to beat teams way above us.”
On what was on the water bottle: “I can’t tell you that, it’s a secret!”
Dyche: First-half performance unacceptable
Forest boss Sean Dyche was scathing about a first-half performance that eventually proved costly for last season’s semi-finalists.
“The first half was unacceptable. The players know and some individuals certainly know.
“They’ve got to look in the mirror on that side of things, but the players who came on in the second half, I thought they were a credit. We looked like a Premier League side.
“There were two brilliant goals from Callum… penalties are a lottery but we created enough chances to win the game, but we didn’t in the end.
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Callum Hudson-Odoi scored a stunning equaliser to take the tie into extra-time as Forest came back from 3-1 down
“They all knock on your door and say ‘why aren’t I playing’ – well the evidence is quite honestly there for some, not for all.
“But that’s what football is. You’ve got to train and prepare right because when your time comes, you’ve got to be ready and there were too many not ready in the first half.
“I livened a few of the players up myself [at half-time] and from the second half on, we looked as we should do as a Premier League side.
“But you can’t give people a two-goal head start. And credit to them by the way, I’m not taking anything away from them. Fair play, but an absolutely unacceptable first half from our point of view.
“We have to make changes because of the game schedule, but footballers show their hand. They won’t be knocking on my door to say ‘why aren’t I playing’, that first-half group.”
When is the FA Cup fourth-round draw?
Wrexham will have all eyes on the FA Cup fourth-round draw when it takes place on Monday January 12.
The draw will be made at Anfield ahead of the last match in the third round between Liverpool and Barnsley.
It is due to start at around 6.30pm.
What’s coming up for Wrexham and Nottingham Forest?