Exeter City took the highest ranked team left in the FA Cup all the way to penalties in a 2-2 draw, but it was Nottingham Forest who overcame the 10-man Grecians in the shootout.
The Grecians got off to a flyer when Josh Magennis poked home his fifth FA Cup goal of the season after just four minutes as Demetri Mitchell's curling shot caused havoc. However, that lead would only stay intact for around 10 minutes, as Ramon Sosa equalised from close range.
Forest grew into the game, and while City stood firm at times, the visitors did go ahead eight minutes before the break, with Awoniyi finishing into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
City came out motivated after the interval and just like in the first half, got an early goal. Magennis headed a deep Ed Francis against the keeper, and then fired the rebound against Willy Boly and in for 2-2. Despite the introduction of several top flight regulars,
Exeter kept attacking and seemed to gain more control as the half wore on, but their task was made considerably harder by a straight red for Ed Turns as the game edged into extra time.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, City defended doggedly throughout the additional 30 minutes and both sides had to settle for penalties.
In that shootout, the Belgian international Matz Sels saved one penalty and the bar was hit with another, as Forest ultimately left SJP as victors.
For City's historic FA Cup tie, Gary Caldwell made five changes from the team that lost against Stevenage. Angus MacDonald and Ed Turns made their City debuts while Ryan Trevitt was included from the start for the first time in a City shirt since December 2023. 17-year-old Jake Richards partnered Ed Francis in midfield while Jack McMillan started on the right of the back three.
First half
After sustaining early Forest pressure, City almost had the ball in the back of the net after just three minutes thanks to the hard work of Vincent Harper. The full-back won possession off his full-back who was trying to shepherd it out for a goal-kick, and sent in a cross. Boly got a leg to it, sending it out for a corner but oh so nearly missing the inside of the post.
City though wouldn't have to wait long for another chance on goal, as they soon took the lead. Trevitt’s resulting corner was cleared but recycled out wide to Demetri Mitchell. The winger sent a shot towards the top corner that was fumbled by the keeper, allowing the lurking Josh Magennis to stab the ball home and send St James Park into raptures.
Forest responded strongly though, and Harper had to be at his best at the opposite end the pitch to keep City in the lead. Coming out of his goal to meet a long ball, Joe Whitworth had the ball knocked through his legs by a visiting player. However, there was Harper covering in behind to clear and send the ball out for a throw.
That was just a warning shot though, as Forest soon equalised in the 14th minute. A long ball through the middle from Ibrahim Sangare was met by Ramon Sosa, who cut through the back three and slotted the ball past Whitworth from close range.
Standing firm in the face of continued Forest testing, City's new-look defence remained steady, and at the other end a great run down the right from Mitchell won a corner just before the half hour mark. Trevitt’s corner was sent in high and deep back to Mitchell, who’s goalward header was cleared.
The Premier League's side physical number nine, Taiwo Awoniyi next tested Whitworth.
A cross was sent in low to the edge of City’s box from the right and the international forward shot first time. Whitworth dived at full stretch to palm his ball past the post, before next punching away the subsequent corner from underneath his bar.
Again, City should’ve heeded this warning, as just minutes later Forest took the lead through Awoniyi. Receiving the ball on the edge of the D with his back to goal, the striker took a few touches around Richards before sending a pinpoint ball into the bottom corner.
As the first half ticked into added time, the Grecians were let off by the linesman’s flag. A long ball over the top was met by Yates on the byline, who poked it past Whitworth but somehow wide. His blushes, though, were spared by an offside call.
Second half
After the interval, the Grecians came out motivated shooting towards the Big Bank, and quickly won a series of corners after Ilmari Niskanen’s cross was deflected out.
The taker of the corner was switched for the second corner, and from Ed Francis’ ball the equaliser came! The midfielder’s cross was deep into the back post, and while Magennis’ initial header was blocked by the keeper, the Northern Irishman followed up and drilled a shot low, which Boly deflected into his own net for 2-2.
City were beginning to flow with confidence, and finding space 30 yards from goal after a simple ball from MacDonald, Trevitt turned and shot, narrowly clearing the crossbar.
That momentum was interrupted though by the first substitution of the evening, and it came in net for Forest. Miguel was forced off with a knock, and on came the man Premier League's leading clean sheet table, Matz Sels.
The Grecians weren’t distracted though, and after the game restarted Niskanen made sure that Sels was match ready with a shot from the edge of the box. Unfortunately for the Finn, the Belgian stopper batted it away.
With the game ticking into the final 20 minutes, Nuno Espirito Santo saw fit to bring on several of his top flight regulars from the bench, and Elliot Anderson tricked some visiting supporters into thinking he’d put them back into the lead with a shot into the side netting.
Next the former Newcastle man laid it back to his fellow change Morgan Gibbs-White, but his fierce shot inside the penalty area was held by Whitworth.
With ten minutes to go through Forest were having to scramble again from a set-piece. Sent in long again by Francis to the back post, this time it was cleared but Niskanen combined with Magennis to send it back in to Turns at the back post. There the centre-back cut it past the keeper and back across goal, but a Forest defender cleared.
As the clock ticked closer to full-time it seemed that the Grecians were in control, and some in the Big Bank were calling for a penalty from a Reece Cole free-kick. Though, the referee was unmoved, and Forest almost countered unopposed but for Tony Yogane, who sprinted back the length of the pitch to cover.
City’s task was made immediately harder though as the game headed into 10 minutes of additional time when Ed Turns caught a visiting player high around the half-way line, and was shown a straight red card in the process.
An unrelated injury to Awoniyi delayed the game by 10 minutes, and in that pause Caldwell changed his tactics to go for the win, bringing on Jay Bird for McMillan.
Well over 100 minutes was on the clock as both sides went for it, and Silva had a shot blocked before Anderson fired over, and then Yogane found Pat Jones with an excellent cross-field ball, but the winger's low shot went narrowly wide.
Bird shot straight at Sels and Anderson's headed flick was palmed away by the keeper before Silva went the closest, winning the ball on the edge of the box and striking the crossbar as the regulation time ended in a frantic fashion.
Extra-time
An additional 30 minutes began with a shift in formation, with Magennis slotting into the back three alongside MacDonald and Niskanen.
The makeshift centre-half was the first player to test either keeper though, as he strayed to the edge of the Forest box, chested down a clearance and fired it at the keeper, but the effort was held.
Forest responded from a corner after Magennis cleared at the other end, but red and white bodies threw themselves at the ball to defend Whitworth's goal.
For the rest of the first 15 minutes City valiantly defended, with a few breaks forward resulting in little.
Extra-time second half
Whitworth made an incredible reaction save to keep the scores level at the start of the second 15. The Palace loanee denied a Chris Wood header from a corner at point blank range, before a Forest man sent a bicycle kick well over.
Attacks kept coming, and Watts had to block a header on the line before Dominguez fired over.
City kept on defending, as the game headed for penalties.
Penalty shootout
Shooting towards the Big Bank, Magennis and Wood opened the scoring for their respective sides. But, as Forest converted all their kicks, a Sels save from Cole and MacDonald hitting the bar meant that it was Forest who progressed.
City may be out of the Cup, but with 10 men they took a Nottingham Forest who won 7-0 in the Premier League only a few weeks ago all the way, and while supporters leave St James Park without an FA Cup fifth round to look forward to, they'll leave for certain with one thing.
Pride.
Exeter City: Whitworth, Niskanen, McMillan (Bird, 90+13'), A. MacDonald, Turns, Harper (Jones, 82'), Richards (Cole, 82'), Francis (Woods, 82'), Mitchell (Yogane, 74'), Trevitt (Watts, 71'), Magennis (C).
Substitutes not used: S. MacDonald (GK), Purrington, Aitchison.
Goals: Magennis 4', Boly (OG) 50'
Yellow card: McMillan 38', Yogane 115'
Red card: Turns 87'
Nottingham Forest: Miguel (Sels, 59'), Sangare (Anderson, 73'), Awoniyi (Wood 90+13'), Toffolo, Silva Moreira, Moreno (Williams 91'), Silva, Yates (C) (Gibbs-White, 73'), Soa, Danilo (Dominguez, 59'), Boly.
Substitutes not used: Morato, Elanga, Abbott.
Goal: Sosa 14', Awoniyi 37'
Yellow card: Williams 105+1'
Attendance: 8330 (1354 away)