Wrexham eliminated Nottingham Forest 4-3 on penalties after a 3-3 draw to reach the fourth round of 2025-26 FA Cup.
Penalty misses from Igor Jesus and Omari Hutchinson saw Forest exit the competition with a 4-3 defeat in the shootout, having won three shootouts en-route to the semi-finals last season, as Jay Rodriguez ultimately converted Wrexham’s winning penalty before Hutchinson’s saved shot.
First-half strikes from Liberato Cacace and Ollie Rathbone fired Wrexham into a comfortable lead at half-time at the Racecourse Ground, before Jesus reduced Forest’s deficit with a 64th-minute header.
Dominic Hyam restored the hosts’ two-goal cushion with a 74th-minute header from George Dobson’s free-kick, until Callum Hudson-Odoi’s brace saw Forest snatch an unlikely draw to send the tie to extra time and ultimately penalties.
Wrexham will now feature in the fourth round draw on Monday 12 January as ball number seven.
Having arrived in North Wales as the pre-match favourites, Forest survived a see-saw start to take a 17th-minute lead after a cross was deflected into the path of Douglas Luiz, but the ball bounced up onto his arm which allowed him to smash in from close range.
Referee, Paul Tierney bizarrely allowed the goal after the offside flag wasn’t raised but moments later, he disallowed the goal due to claims of handball despite Video-Assistant-Referee not being in use until the fifth round.
Forest were left to rue that missed chance as Wrexham began to quietly build momentum and almost broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark through Sam Smith, but the forward dragged his shot from Nathan Broadhead’s forward pass wide of the far-bottom right corner on a quick counter-attack.
That chance wasn’t heeded by Forest as just seven minutes later as Dobson intercepted Hutchinson and slipped it into the path of Cacace who curled into his near-left corner to put the hosts ahead.
Wrexham further capitalised on more defensive sloppiness three minutes later, as Broadhead set up Rathbone to dribble into the box, but one of his touches rebounded off Morato for him to curl in to double their lead at half-time.
Matz Sels however crucially denied Wrexham a third goal in the only minute of additional time as he saved Smith’s shot.
Sean Dyche opted for a triple-substitution at half time as Oleksandr Zinchenko, James McAtee and Dilane Bakwa were all replaced by Neco Williams, Nicolas Dominguez and Morgan Gibbs-White respectively.
Those changes sparked Forest into life but they struggled to beat Wrexham’s goalkeeper, Arthur Okonkwo, who blocked a shot from Dan Ndoye who subsequently flicked wide on the follow-up.
Broadhead almost wrapped up victory just before the hour mark but his shot was saved by Sels.
Forest’s improved attacking intensity eventually began to pay dividends in the 63rd minute as Nicolo Savona whipped a cross into the box, which Jesus thumped in from close range over the line to reduce the visitors’ deficit moments before it could be cleared.
Wrexham however restored their two-goal lead just 11 minutes later after Hudson-Odoi fouled Josh Windass, which led Dobson to curl a low free-kick across the box where Hyam was alert to head into the bottom right corner.
Forest though mounted an immediate response as a move down the right fell for Hutchinson to cross into the box, yet a deflection set substitute, Hudson-Odoi up to rifle in Forest’s second goal as the Tricky Trees gained hope of a late comeback.
Wrexham looked destined to see the tie out until Savona whipped a 90th-minute cross into their box which found Hudson-Odoi, and the ex Chelsea winger chested the ball down before he lobbed Okonkwo with a strike into the far left corner which forced extra time.
Forest spent extra time on top as Hutchinson, Williams, Hudson-Odoi and Jesus wasted various chances, whilst Wrexham nearly retook the lead through Dan Scarr’s wide header and Windass’ saved shot as the tie ultimately remained level to set up a shootout.
Windass and Gibbs-White converted the opening spot-kicks but James McLean rifled Wrexham’s second penalty wide of the left corner, yet Forest didn’t capitalise as Okonkwo saved Jesus’ penalty immediately afterwards.
Callum Doyle, Hudson-Odoi, George Thomason, Williams and Jay Rodriguez converted the subsequent penalties until Forest’s fifth penalty from Hutchinson was saved by Okonkwo, which meant that Wrexham prevailed and progressed into the fourth round.
What’s Next?
Wrexham turn their attention back to their push for the Championship play-offs as they host Norwich on Saturday 17 January at 3pm GMT.
Forest meanwhile will resume their fight for Premier League survival as they next host leaders, Arsenal on 17 January at 5:30pm, although they still have hope of silverware within the Europa League this season.
Teams
Wrexham: Arthur Okonkwo, Dan Scarr, Dominic Hyam, Callum Doyle, Ryan Longman (Barnett 90′), George Dobson, Ben Sheaf (McLean 88′), Liberato Cacace (Thomason 60′), Ollie Rathbone (O’Brien 69′), Nathan Broadhead (Windass 69′), Sam Smith (Rodriguez 100′)
Substitutes: Harry Ashfield, Ryan Barnett, Callum Burton, Conor Coady, James McLean, Lewis O’Brien, Jay Rodriguez, George Thomason, Josh Windass
Nottingham Forest: Matz Sels, Nicolo Savona (Murillo 97′), Morato, Jair Cunha, Oleksandr Zinchenko (Williams 46′), James McAtee (Dominguez 46′), Douglas Luiz (Awoniyi 88′), Dan Ndoye (Hudson-Odoi 69′), Omari Hutchinson, Dilane Bakwa (Gibbs-White 46′), Igor Jesus
Substitutes: Zach Abbot, Taiwo Awoniyi, Murillo, Nicolas Dominguez, Morgan Gibbs-White, Angus Gunn, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Nikola Milenkovic, Neco Williams
Referee – Paul Tierney
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