Nottingham Forest finally win marathon FA Cup tie at Exeter on penalties

Nottingham Forest survived a huge FA Cup scare against 10-man Exeter to win a penalty shoot-out after drawing 2-2 at St James Park.

Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson all scored from the spot before fellow substitute Neco Williams wrapped up a marathon tie with the final kick of the contest at 11.03pm.

Josh Magennis and Tony Yogane were on target for League One Exeter, but Matz Sels saved Reece Cole’s poor penalty and Angus MacDonald struck the crossbar as Forest prevailed 4-2.

Forest, third in the Premier League and the highest-ranked team left in the FA Cup, will now play Ipswich at home in round five.

Magennis had scored twice for Exeter – the competition’s top scorer in taking his total to six – in giving the Grecians an early lead and then equalising at the start of the second period.

Ramon Sosa and Taiwo Awoniyi, who left the action in stoppage time on a stretcher after being attended to by medics for several minutes, turned the tie in Forest’s favour.

Exeter debutant Ed Turns was handed a red card for a thigh-high challenge on Gibbs-White three minutes from time, but Forest had to settle for an extra 30 minutes after Jota Silva thundered a shot against the crossbar.

Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo took the opportunity to rest almost his entire regular starting XI after his squad had spent the week away at a warm-weather training camp in Dubai.

Brazilian midfielder Danilo was the sole survivor from the side which had demolished Brighton 7-0 last time out.

Nuno’s team sheet offered real hope to Exeter – 59 places below Forest on the football ladder – that they could replicate the giant-killing success of their Devon neighbours Plymouth, who had shocked Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.

Exet