By Hugo Varley
Nottingham Forest‘s 23-year exile from the Premier League is over after they secured a nail-biting play-off final victory against Huddersfield Town.
Steve Cooper’s side battened down the hatches to withstand a barrage of late pressure, surviving two huge penalty shouts, as the Terriers threw everything at an elusive equalizer.
The game’s pivotal moment arrived on the stroke of half time when Huddersfield’s Levi Colwill unwittingly sent the ball into his own net, while trying to fend off Ryan Yates in the box.
As with any Championship play-off final, the atmosphere around Wembley before kick-off was palpable but this game felt more special than most, with both sides looking to cap off remarkable tales of redemption.
Huddersfield had finished 20th last year and lost their opening game of the season 5-1 at home to Fulham. However, the West Yorkshire side chose to stand by young Spanish Head Coach Carlos Corberán and had been rewarded with a resurgent campaign.
Meanwhile, Steve Cooper had taken on the Forest job at the end of September with his side cast adrift at the very bottom of the Championship table.
It was Cooper’s team who held the upper hand during the first half an hour. Yates twice went close, heading a James Garner free kick over, before misfiring after finding space near the edge of the area.
As the half drew to a close, Huddersfield enjoyed their first bright spell of the game with the dangerous Sorba Thomas firing in a couple of low crosses and top scorer Danny Ward snatching at a good opportunity from a corner.
It looked as though Corberán’s side would go into the break with the momentum, however a Forest breakaway triggered the pivotal game winning goal.
Garner whipped in a teasing angled ball towards the centre of the box, which pinged off the luckless Colwill’s right boot and flew into the top corner of Lee Nicholls’ net.
Coming into the second-half, Forest looked to sit back and soak up pressure with their slender lead intact.
Terriers captain Jonathon Hogg glanced a free header over before VAR was dramatically called into action 20 minutes from time.
A darting Huddersfield attack saw Harry Toffolo played into the box, with the 26-year-old jinking passed Jack Colback and hitting the turf.
His teammates were up in arms, frantically appealing for a spot kick but referee John Moss opted to book Toffolo for diving.
VAR was consulted for a considerable amount of time, with each replay and angle appearing to offer differing conclusions. Ultimately, Moss’ on-field decision was kept to, but the Huddersfield faithful will certainly feel aggrieved on their way back north this evening.
Moss was similarly unmoved when Town’s Lewis O’Brian went down in the area under heavy pressure from Alex Lowe, while in the final seconds O’Brian also send a skimming effort agonizingly wide of the post.
Ultimately, Forest did just about enough to secure a historic return to the Premier League, but they were made to endure a heart in mouth moment or two!
