Nottingham Forest U21s snatched a dramatic late winner at Brunton Park, as Archie Whitehall’s stoppage-time strike secured a 2-1 victory against struggling Carlisle United.
The Bristol Street Motors Trophy might not be the most illustrious competition on the calendar, but after a horror start to their League Two return, Carlisle could have done with a bit of a boost, but it wasn’t to be, as the Forest Under 21s snatched all three points.
Forest U21s started brightly, controlling much of the early play as Dan Adu-Adjei and debutant Sam Hetherington threatened to break the deadlock. On 13 minutes, Adu-Adjei found himself one-on-one with Carlisle’s keeper but opted to set up Hetherington, whose shot was well-blocked.
Forest U21s’s pressure finally told on the half-hour mark when Gardner’s strike took a wicked deflection off Jack Ellis, sending the ball spinning away from Carlisle’s helpless keeper, Gabe Breeze. The visitors came close to doubling their advantage soon after, with some slick play down the left, only for Ellis to make a crucial block.
As half-time approached, Forest U21s’s attacking duo of Adu-Adjei and Dominic Sadi, both on loan from Bournemouth, tested Breeze, but the Carlisle stopper stood firm to keep the deficit at one.
Forest U21s faced a rejuvenated Carlisle side in the second half, with the hosts making two changes and ramping up the pressure. Aaron Bott, Forest’s keeper, had to be alert to a number of threatening crosses, particularly from Ben Williams, who sent in a dangerous ball met by Adu-Adjei, only for the forward to head over the bar.
Bott was called into action again in the 66th minute, making a stunning double save to deny Luke Armstrong, who looked certain to equalise for Carlisle. The hosts continued to grow in confidence as they pushed for a leveller, with Williams and Sadi linking up well to cause problems for the Forest U21s defence.
Carlisle finally got their reward in the 88th minute when Jake Allan produced a superb solo effort, drifting inside and rolling a precise shot into the far corner, sparking wild celebrations among the home fans.
However, just as the match looked destined for a draw, Forest U21s struck on the counter-attack deep into stoppage time. Archie Whitehall, introduced late in the game, found space in the box and coolly slotted home, breaking Carlisle hearts and securing a dramatic win for Forest’s U21s.
“We dominated possession and had the better of the chances in the game. That’s positive, but obviously the way we’ve lost the game is disappointing,” said interim Carlisle manager Steven Rudd.
“Myself, Birchy and Jamie will take full responsibility for that,” he added, when quizzed about the late winner. “We’ve dominated the second half, equalised and we’ve told lads to go for it. It wasn’t a case of sitting back wanting penalties. As soon as we score, we got the message on, to tell them we wanted to go and win the game, because we thought it was there.”
Writer’s View
If ever a team needed a bit of a boost, it is Carlisle. How they much have celebrated that late leveller, not because of the importance of the goal, as it’s not actually that important, but because it might have finally given them a little cheer. It’s cruel that Forest U21s went straight up the other end and scored, the sort of luck that the Cumbrians are experiencing right now.
They need to get a new man in the door and get themselves pointing in the right direction. This result, while insignificant in the grand scheme of things, is another confidence-sapping outcome, and already it must feel like it’s been a long season for those supporters.
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