Sim-ply stunning!
Reporter: MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date published: 07 January 2013
Nottingham Forest 2, Athletic 3
Robbie’s double highlight on a memorable day
“DID he tell about my new four-year contract?” said beaming Athletic boss Paul Dickov.
The manager laughed and grabbed his chairman Simon Corney around the shoulder. The gesture was returned as the pair walked towards the players’ tunnel.
It was that sort of carefree, life-affirming afternoon.
An FA Cup win like this — with three sparkling goals in seven minutes of second-half magic — can lift any level of football gloom.
Sackings of coaching staff, four defeats from the previous five matches; none of it mattered.
For a brilliant period after half-time in this giant-killing display, Athletic looked every millimetre the play-off chasing Championship side.
And the 2,841 supporters who had trekked to the East Midlands, far more in hope than expectation, loved every second of it.
Robbie Simpson kicked things off by smashing home a low 25-yard shot in the 54th minute, which levelled the Forest opener scored into his own net by the unfortunate Matt Smith.
Athletic’s fans were still bouncing in celebration when he scored again four minutes later, adjusting superbly to nod a far-post header over goalkeeper Lee Camp from Dean Furman’s cross.
And the joy was heightened again when, after Smith had been hauled down by Danny Collins, Jose Baxter hammered home the resulting free-kick.
Three goals in exactly seven minutes. Anyone who nipped off to the loo before Simpson’s screamer might have missed them all!
Forest, who bossed the first half, didn’t know what had hit them. Substitute Billy Sharp’s goal in the fifth minute of added time was little consolation for Alex McLeish’s men.
Dickov’s side had started the game nervously.
McLeish made five changes to his starting line and set up his team with three central defenders.
It took Athletic time to get to grips with the formation and the tie opened up with Forest regularly marauding forward.
Smith’s bout of bad luck handed Forest the early advantage. Blackstock drew a foul from Jean-Yves Mvoto in the right corner and as Reid teased a ball in, Smith inadvertently turned it home inside the six-yard box under pressure from Simon Cox.
On the half-hour, Bouzanis came to the rescue. Cliff Byrne’s back-pass was short and as Blackstock raced in and Athletic fans held their breath, the striker hit a shot that was well blocked by the Australian goalkeeper.
It was at this stage Athletic grew into the tie. Simpson was switched with Mchangama from centre-midfield to the left and immediately, cohesion improved.
Baxter came within a whisker of scoring from his first free-kick attempt after 33 minutes; Baxter and Smith both headed on to the roof of the net as Dickov’s men headed in for the most effective team talk of the manager’s reign.
His side tore into the second half, attacking towards their own fans - who went wild when Simpson scored.
Enter Dean Furman, whose surge and excellent cross from the right led to Simpson’s second.
Mayhem ensued. And only a block by Camp’s legs prevented a scintillating five-minute hat-trick as Simpson danced past a pair of defenders with lightning feet and hit a low shot.
Forest were still reeling when a lovely pass from Jonathan Grounds set Smith free on goal. Collins’ red card and Baxter’s setpiece later, Athletic were home and dry.
Huge challenges remain for Athletic in the league; even bigger finacial hurdles need to be negotiated
But an occasion like this shows that now and again, Athletic can kick with the best of them.
