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Turner the hero as Forest end Robins’ run

Turner the

Nottingham Forest 1-1 – AET (Forest win 5-3 on pens)

Matt Turner came good for Nottingham Forest as he was the hero in an Cup fourth-round replay penalty shoot-out win against Bristol City which set up a mouth-watering tie with .

Turner has made several high-profile mistakes in recent weeks which saw boss sign a new goalkeeper in the January transfer window.

But the United States international kept Bristol City at bay throughout 120 minutes and then saved Sam Bell’s spot-kick as Forest won the shoot-out 5-3 after the tie had ended 1-1.

Divock Origi’s first goal for Forest since his summer move from AC Milan had given them an early lead but the spirited side troubled their Premier League hosts throughout and levelled through Jason Knight.

Matt Turner and Taiwo Awoniyi
Matt Turner and Taiwo Awoniyi secured the win for Forest

They could have won the tie in both normal time and extra time had it not been for Turner, who pulled off a string of saves throughout the night.

Forest’s reward is a fifth-round match against Manchester United at the City Ground in three weeks, though they will have to improve immeasurably considering they have laboured past League One in the third round and now the second-tier Robins.

Forest, who made eight changes from the side that drew at in the league on Sunday, had designs on an easy night when they took an eighth-minute lead.

Morgan Gibbs-White forced Max O’Leary into a stunning one-handed save down to his right, but from the resulting corner Origi glanced home to break his Forest duck.

However, it quickly became apparent that a long night was in store as the Robins levelled six minutes later.

Divock Origi scores
Divock Origi put Forest ahead (Martin Rickett/PA)

Turner tipped Andy King’s shot from distance on to one post, the ball rolled across the line and hit the other post, where Haydon Roberts collected it and teed up Knight to tap into an empty net.

Turner then had to get down well to save Anis Mehmeti’s effort and did even better to keep out Tommy Conway’s low shot as Forest were on the rack.

Mehmeti had another effort saved by Turner early in the second half as the Forest goalkeeper was kept busy.

Forest sent on Taiwo Awoniyi and Callum Hudson-Odoi to try and wrestle control of the game.

Jason Knight scores
Jason Knight levelled for City (Martin Rickett/PA)

And they began to build some pressure in the final 10 minutes.

Nuno Tavares saw a drilled effort parried by O’Leary before Hudson-Odoi teed up Neco Williams but he shot just wide as the game went to an additional period.

Both sides had chances in extra time as the impenetrable Turner again denied Mehmeti with a stretching save while Moussa Niakhate sent a free header wide.

It was the Championship side who were pushing for a winner in the second half of extra time as was somehow denied on the line after a good move down the left while Matty James whistled a shot over from a corner.

But the game was decided from the penalty spot and Turner denied Bell, which allowed Awoniyi to fire home the winning kick.

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