Exeter City 2-2 Nottingham Forest Player Ratings: Almost a classic FA Cup game but Forest edged out the win in penalty shootout

Exeter City, the lowest-ranked side remaining in the FA Cup, have exited the tournament after losing to Nottingham Forest in the penalty shootout. The League One side took the Premier League club all the way in the game but could not hold their nerves.

The home side took the shock lead in the game through Josh Magennis before Ramon Sosa made it 1-1 quickly. Awoniyi scored a superb goal just minutes before the half time whistle and that gave the Premier League side a lead going into the break.

However, much like the first half, Magennis scored just 5 minutes after the start to make it 2-2. The scoreline remained intact for the rest of the match, including extra time, and that forced a penalty shootout.

Matz Sels, who came on for Carlos Miguel in the Nottingham goal, saved an effort while Angus MacDonald saw his penalty come off the bar. That was enough for top flight side as they scored all their penalties to seal a 4-2 win in the shootout.

Here are Exeter City vs Nottingham Forest Player Ratings.

Exeter City player ratings vs Nottingham Forest

Jow Whitworth – 8.5: Saved a couple of good shots, but he was poor for the first goal in the first half. However, he showed his worth in the second half and extra time with some excellent saves.

Defenders

Ilmari Niskanen – 6.5: The right-back held his own and controlled the flank. Did not let Nottingham create a lot of chances from his side.  

Jack McMillan – 6: He was hardly involved in the game today. Shadowed the Nottingham Forest players and hardly got on the ball.

Angus MacDonald – 7: Another Exeter City defender who had very little to do today. He was mostly inside his own box and did not have much to do on the ball. Hit the bar with his penalty in the shootout.

Ed Turns – 6.5: He was having a quiet night until he got sent off. He caught Morgan-Gibbs in the wrong place and referee had no option but to send him off.

Vincent Harper – 7.5: He was the best player on the pitch for Exeter City after their captain. He kept Jota Silva quiet and never left the Brazilian any space to work with in the game.

Midfielders

Demetri Mitchell – 6.5: A decent performance at both ends of the pitch today. Did not do much but was sharp every time he got the ball.

Edward Francis – 7.5: He did all running in the middle of the park today. Was looking to close down the Nottingham players every time they were getting close to the ball.

Jake Richards – 6: The winger did not threaten the Nottingham Forest defenders and was more involved in defense than anything in attack.

Ryan Trevitt – 6.5: He was isolated most of the time and never got on the ball. He was taken off in the 71st minute as he was ineffective today.

Forward

Josh Magennis – 8.5: He scored both goals for Exeter City today and was brilliant today. He was all over the pitch to help out and was the man of the match today.

Substitutes

Caleb Watts – 5.5

Tony Yogane – 7

Ryan Woods – 6

Reece Cole – 6

Patrick Jones – 6.5

Jay Bird – 6

Manager

Gary Caldwell – 8.5: He got his plan spot on and the players executed it well.

Nottingham Forest player ratings vs Exeter City

Carlos Miguel – 3: The goalkeeper was easily the worst player on the pitch today. He could not get most of the basics right and was directly involved in both goals he conceded before going off injured in the second half.  

Defenders

Eric da Silva Moreira – 6.5: He was more involved in attack than defense today. Could not do much at both ends despite his relentless effort to go up and down the pitch.

Willy Boly – 6: He was having a good game but his mistake resulted in Exeter City’s second goal. He tried to clear the ball but it just bounced off his shin and went into the net.

Harry Toffolo – 6.5: He was decent today and managed to do well against the Exter City forwards. However, there was nothing much he could do to stop the goals.

Alex Moreno – 5.5: He was unable to do much in the game and had a rather quiet one. He was not able to get forward when needed.

Midfielders

Ryan Yates – 7: He managed to control the midfield and kept the ball moving. He stayed back and helped out in stopping counters too.

Ibrahim Sangare – 8: He was simply too good today. Showed his class on the pitch and got the assist for both goals.

Jota Silva – 6: A match he would like to forget soon. Struggled against the Exeter City defenders and missed a golden chance to win it in injury time of the first 90.

Danilo – 6.5: He was not at his best today and hardly managed to make an impact. Nuno saw it as well and took him off before the hour mark.

Ramon Sosa – 8.5: He scored after an excellent move to deal with 3-4 Exeter City players and was sublime today. He could have taken a few more shots but opted to keep passing near the box.

Forward

Taiwo Awoniyi – 8: He was brilliant up front and managed to score a superb goal. He was not afraid to shoot at every chance, but could have done a lot better with a few of his efforts. He was involved in a horrific clash right at the very end of the game.

Substitutes

Matz Sels – 6.5

Nicolás Domínguez – 7

Elliot Anderson – 7

Morgan Gibbs-White – 7

Chris Wood – 6

Neco Williams – 7

Manager

Nuno Espirito Santo – 8: He could not break down the Exeter City tactics but his players managed to do well on the pitch.