THIRTY years to the day since Forest last exited a European competition at the hands of Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup quarter-final, and we’re back on the big stage. Make the most of what you’ve got. I doubt if I will be around in 2056, should we be given this opportunity once again.
The task in hand was tough: overcome a 1-0 home deficit by a bastard of a team that has already bullied us TWICE at the World Famous this season. Factor in that Forest are balls deep in a PL relegation scrap, and you can see why I didn’t hold out much hope.
I was shit scared when the starting line up was announced. Oh, I see. We’re sacking off Europe, then. This was understandable. I’d gladly swap three points away at #lolspurs on Sunday, if it meant saying farewell to Europe. But still - a midweek European fixture, under the lights, Two Stars on the Badge, etc.
A strong ref was needed. The Slovakian fella from last week seemed to be reffing by guesswork. Midtjylland are absolute beasts. We needed the calls to go in our favour if Forest weren’t to be battered away on the road once again. Thankfully German referee Felix Zwayer was up to the job.
The first half was fantastic. Forest could easily have been 5-0 up - quite something for a team that can’t score goals this season. But we weren’t 5-0 up at HT, showing that yep, we can’t score goals… I was a little alarmed at the ease in which the Midtjylland wide player was able to skip past Bakwa.
And then finally a goal! Dominguez’s superb header was one for the away fans. Christ, they have suffered on their travels throughout the season. The scores on the Danish doors at HT was all square, with three quarters of the two-legged tie having been played.
Time for Heroes; time for Ryan Yates.
Forest seem to have finally landed on the European League dream team of a squad. We were told at the start of the season that we would have two teams - one to challenge in the PL, and the other that would provide capable back up in Europe. It’s only taken seven months to reach this point.
Come back Edu? Erm, no ta.
Cometh the hour, cometh the Captain. GO ON, Yatesy, have a swing.
SHIT THE BED. Where the chuff did that one come from? On his left foot as well. Le Tissier would have been proud of such a strike.
Now what?
Defend! Defend!
DEFEND! DEFEND! DEFEND!
It was also time for the Big Dawgs to make an appearance and shore up the scoreline. But this somehow changed the whole pace of the game. Midtjylland found it easier to play against our A team than the stiffs.
The inevitable home goal happened. Extra time was needed. Arse. This is exactly what Forest didn’t want with #lolspurs coming up. It would be SO Forest to play the extra 30 minutes, go to pens, and then… lose.
And so here we go. A penalty shoot out to see if Forest can make it the quarter finals of a major European competition. We’ve come a long way since the toxic days of Chris Houghton and being bottom of the Championship.
MGW was magnificent. He even managed to channel a bit of Psycho with the celebrations. Midtjylland were bloody awful. The magic post helped Forest out big time. The third swing and a miss channeled poor old Chris Waddle.
Bloody hell. We’re through. I wasn’t expecting that. We’ve finally got one over on Midtjylland. That seemed unlikely back in those dark, dark days of Ange the Clown.
What a campaign!
We couldn’t, could we?
I hope anybody’s not stupid enough to write us off, etc.
