Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Matz Sels.Alamy Stock Photo Freeroad to wembley Forest beat Brighton on penalties to reach first FA Cup semi-final since 1991 Matz Sels saved two penalties as Forest won through 4-3 on spot-kicks after a goalless draw. 8.55pm, 29 Mar 2025 Share options MATZ SELS WAS Nottingham Forest’s penalty hero yet again as they reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 34 years. The Belgian goalkeeper saved spot-kicks from Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez as Forest beat Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw at the Amex Stadium. Sels had previously made crucial saves in the shoot-outs against Exeter and Ipswich in the previous two rounds. Forest manager Nuno celebrates.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo This time he had Forest partying like it was 1991, the last time they reached the last four of the competition under Brian Clough. Stuart Pearce was in that side, and he was on radio commentary duty at the Amex and looking in fine fettle following his recent health scare. Advertisement Pearce knew a thing or two about penalty shoot-outs so he would have enjoyed the climax, if not the 120 minutes that preceded it. Brighton had most of the ball yet were doing very little with it, and Forest were happy to let them. Certainly this was not going to be a repeat of Forest’s 7-0 win over Brighton in last month’s Premier League fixture, but the visitors did create the first opening after 15 minutes when Ola Aina slipped Chris Wood’s replacement, Taiwo Awoniyi, in behind. The striker’s angled shot was blocked by the legs of Seagulls keeper Bart Verbruggen, with Neco Williams unable to convert the rebound. At the other end Yasin Ayari took aim from the edge of the box and his drive looked destined for the bottom corner until Murillo stuck out a heel and deflected it wide. Pervis Estupinan hit a swerving 25-yard effort which dipped in front of Sels, forcing the Forest keeper into an unorthodox save. After the break, Brighton’s Georginio Rutter fired narrowly over from a corner and Hinshelwood headed another wide, while Verbruggen tipped a Morgan Gibbs-White piledriver over. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga came on after an hour to pep things up, and within three minutes Forest had been awarded a penalty. Kaoru Mitoma slid in on Elliot Anderson, catching the midfielder’s foot with his elbow and bringing him down. Referee Peter Bankes pointed to the spot but then overturned his decision after a look at the pitchside monitor, deciding there was insufficient contact. Gibbs-White then sent Elanga scampering through but Verbruggen was out sharply to block his effort. Brighton were clinging on as extra time approached with Gibbs-White inches from converting Elanga’s cross at the far post, and in stoppage time the England hopeful’s goalbound header was hacked clear by Jan Paul van Hecke. Extra time came and went with a header from Gomez pushed over by Sels the closest anyone came to forcing a winner. In the shoot-out Sels saved from Hinshelwood, and although Williams blazed over, the visiting keeper blocked from Gomez before skipper Ryan Yates sent Forest through. Press Association Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Forest beat Brighton on penalties to reach first FA Cup semi-final since 1991”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Forest beat Brighton on penalties to reach first FA Cup semi-final since 1991”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Nottingham Forest road to wembley News in 60 seconds Monaghan show smarts to close out Division 2 final 26 mins ago FreeReaction 'We ground it out. We have no regret that it was not the prettiest of contests' Resolute Leinster grind out impressive win against Sharks FreeGreen Day Childs in charge as Limerick claim Division 4 title Kildunne hat-trick helps England thrash Wales in Women's Six Nations Highly-rated coaching pair step away from Meath days before Leinster opener FreeOpportunist Watch: Ruesha Littlejohn scores from the halfway line for Shamrock Rovers 'The young hurler’s father said: I'm glad my son's name will live forever' Connacht's late rally comes up short as Munster hold on in Castlebar FreeReaction Connacht offer positive update after Cian Prendergast taken to hospital 20-year-old O'Connor gets biggest Munster chance yet in Castlebar more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account