CLOUGH HAS A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
Burton boss knocks out old club
NIGEL CLOUGH’S Burton Albion enjoyed another famous Carabao Cup upset as they reached the quarter-finals for the first time.
Clough won the League Cup twice as a Nottingham Forest player in 1989 and 1990 when his dad Brian was manager of the club.
An own goal from Saidy Janko and one from Scottish midfielder Scott Fraser put League Two Burton in the driving seat to spare the blushes of Liam Boyce, who missed a first-half penalty, before substitute Lewis Grabban pulled one back.
Jake Hesketh made sure with a stunning volley in the 82nd minute before Arvin Appiah pulled one back for Forest in added time.
Championship side Forest, 33 places ahead of their East Midlands hosts, made 10 changes to Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Leeds United as they looked to reach the last eight for the first time since 1995.
Yet they were second best against a team who have already accounted for Burnley and Aston Villa.
Forest threatened first as defender Michael Dawson sent a free header well over the bar from Gil Dias’s corner, before Diogo Goncalves flashed a rising drive over.
But from then on, the rest of the first half belonged to Burton. Boyce forced the first save with a low drive from a tight angle that had goalkeeper Luke Steele smothering at his near post.
Boyce then tasted mixed fortunes in the space of three minutes. First the seven-goal striker’s fierce low drive was fumbled by Steele and Templeton’s follow-up was deflected wide. Then the Northern Ireland international blasted a 32nd-minute penalty over the bar after Liam Bridcutt impeded Jamie Allen trying to cut out Hesketh’s cross.
Boyce, looking like he was affected by his spot-kick miss in front of the travelling support, wasted another chance before the break when he could only sidefoot at Steele.
Forest looked to make a quick impact after the restart and Gil Dias just lacked a finish when he could only toe-poke at Dimitar Evtimov after a dazzling 50-yard run.
But they were soon checked as Burton stunned them when Fraser’s 52nd minute shot took a heavy deflection off Janko to loop beyond Steele into the corner of the net.
Fraser made it 2-0 in the 64th minute when he took advantage of a ricochet in the box to neatly slot home left-footed.
Their lead lasted just six minutes when Dias put substitute Grabban through to reduce the arrears.
Hesketh then put Burton 3-1 ahead before Forest pushed frantically to reduce the deficit, with Matty Cash heading over from a later corner with five minutes left.
Appiah scored a late consolation for Forest after a quick break down the right, tapping home after Evtimov had spilled his first effort.