Nottingham Forest knocks toptier Newcastle out of cup
MANCHESTER: Premier League Newcastle United was knocked out of the League Cup by secondtier Nottingham Forest yesterday with a 31 defeat at the City Ground that featured three goals in stoppage time.
Everton and Watford both progressed against Championship opponents, the Toffees enjoying a 31 victory over Rotherham United and the Hornets winning 20 at Reading.
It took Forest two minutes to get ahead against Rafa Benetiz’s Newcastle with Daryl Murphy heading in Sam Byram’s cross.
Aitor Karanka’s side, which played some attractive and positive football, looked set to celebrate a wellearned victory against a topflight opponent but Newcastle substitute Salomon Rondon levelled the game in the second minute of stoppage with a low drive that flew in off the inside of the post.
Forest responded straight away, though, with a swift break forward that was finished off superbly by a powerful low drive from Matty Cash.
Newcastle was furious after its winger, Ayoze Perez, went down under challenge from keeper Luke Steele but its penalty
appeals were ignored and Forest wrapped up the win with a clever chip from the impressive Gil Dias.
‘‘It was great to win against a Premier League team of their quality and experience,’’ Karanka said.
Benitez had no doubt that Newcastle should have been given a penalty and felt his team’s performance merited a different result.
‘‘I don’t agree that Forest were the better team and I’m not concerned by how we played.’’