Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has shared his thoughts after the gut-wrenching penalty miss by Super Eagles forward Taiwo Awoniyi in last night’s Carabao Cup thriller.

Nuno didn’t shy away from the gravity of the situation against Newcastle United on Wednesday, but he was quick to emphasise the importance of rallying behind the Nigerian striker, Footballrover reports.

The Reds were narrowly edged out, falling 4-3 on penalties to Newcastle United after the match had ended in a 1-1 deadlock in regular time.

Joe Willock had given Newcastle the lead in the first half, but Jota Silva levelled the score in the second period of the game, leading to a penalty shootout.

Unfortunately, it was Awoniyi’s missed spot-kick that ultimately cost Forest their place in the competition.

Taiwo misses.

🌳: ✅✅✅❌❌
⚫️: ✅❌✅✅

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) August 28, 2024

The Nigerian forward played the full 90 minutes in this fiercely contested encounter, which took place in front of a packed home crowd.

Awoniyi, who battled injuries last season and missed much of pre-season due to fitness concerns, was making his first start of the season in this match.

After the game, Santo acknowledged that while the penalty miss would sting, he was pleased to see the Super Eagles star get valuable game time to boost his fitness.

The coach noted that although Awoniyi showed signs of fatigue towards the end, he worked tirelessly until the final whistle.

We exit the @Carabao_Cup on penalties. pic.twitter.com/8USQp06sTH

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) August 28, 2024

Nuno highlighted that Awoniyi had a couple of promising chances and stressed the importance of giving him more opportunities to regain his full fitness because they firmly believe in his talent.

“You can’t ignore the penalty moment; it’s tough for all of us, especially for the player involved. But we’re here to support him, and there’s no time to dwell on it because we go again on Saturday.”

And of course, Forest will be back in action this weekend and at the City Ground once more, facing Wolves as they look to bounce back from this setback.

Like this post?
We’d be delighted to hear from you. Please leave a comment in the box below!

Last Updated on August 29, 2024 4:54 pm by Sir Kris