Huddersfield vs Nottingham Forest LIVE: Championship play-off final result, final score and reaction tonight
Follow all the action from Wembley Stadium as the Terriers and Forest look to seal a spot in next season’s Premier League
Steve Cooper’s remarkable nine-month reinvention of Nottingham Forest gave birth to a belated new era at Wembley on Sunday. After 23 years of chaos, yearning and heartbreak, and a season in which Forest were rock bottom of the Championship in September, their resurrection to the Premier League was rendered complete as Levi Colwill’s cruel own goal settled a tense and scrappy play-off final against Huddersfield.
Carlos Corberan will have every right to feel aggrieved, having seen two credible penalty appeals waved away in a frantic second half, but fate - and John Moss - refused to budge. They are the finite margins worth hundreds of millions in this unique fixture that wagers all the travails of the season on a knife-edge. On this occasion, no matter how Huddersfield tried to wrestle an equaliser, the game seemed destined to tilt in Forest’s favour.
There was ecstasy at last for their players at full-time. They have inherited the burden of history, but players like Brennan Johnson and Djed Spence, who weren’t even born when Forest were last in the Premier League, delivered catharsis to a crowd that knew the pain of the past two decades intimately and first-hand. They will be a romantic addition to the top-flight but that is no consolation to a Huddersfield squad that were left splayed across the turf in despair, left to rue what might have been. Follow reaction from the Championship play-off final below:
Full-time: Huddersfield 0-1 Nottingham Forest
The bucket hat is off and in the pocket but it takes nothing away from the emotion flowing at the home of English football.
Worrall is jumping and every red fan has remained to watch this historic moment. Cooper is leaning on the barrier is complete disbelief, sighing and smiling.
If you want to catch up with any of the match action, read Tom Kershaw’s report who is at the rocking Wembley:
Forest promoted to Premier League after beating Huddersfield in play-off final
Huddersfield 0-1 Nottingham Forest: First-half own goal from Levi Colwill sends Forest back to the top flight
Full-time: Huddersfield 0-1 Nottingham Forest
The atmosphere is exploding at Wembley. Queen is playing and Forest are harmonising as the players continue their celebrations.
Steve Cooper is receiving so many plaudits and rightly so! He took over the club when they were a relegation risk and now they are in the Premier League. How incredible for the team.
Worrall has a bucket hat on as he walks to raise the trophy, will he wear it as he raises it? I hope so.
Full-time: Huddersfield 0-1 Nottingham Forest
An incredibly emotional captain Joe Worrall has spoke to Sky about securing promotion.
Worrall is a life-long Forest fan and he said: “Incredible. We have been really good, it’s not just this season. I’m not saying we have been good in the past season, we have been sh**e but it’s been a long time coming for this club.
“This is such an honour to captain Forest.
“We don’t mind suffering. We have suffered for a long time off the pitch. So half an hour on the pitch is nothing compared to the suffering we have experienced.
“I am so so proud, especially for the manager. Such a nice bloke and he’s failed twice in the play-offs before. You can see it in his eyes, he checks up on the players and he is a nice genuine man. I’m made up for him.
“He has given us that belief... he has come in and given us that hope and belief. He ahs killed us with kindness. He must be feeling so happy. He deserves every plaudit.”
Full-time: Huddersfield 0-1 Nottingham Forest
The mixture of emotion in Wembley right now is breathtaking. Forest’s fans have erupted in cheers with the players running over to their end.
But it’s tears and heartbreak for Huddersfield. Colwill must be devastated that his deflection has sent Forest to the Premier League.
Steve Cooper looks as though he can’t believe it, his hands on his face and he’s embracing his players. The manager has done incredibly well in his first season at the side.
They have not only secured promotion but they also had a stunning run in the FA Cup where they knocked out the likes of Arsenal. Their time in the Premier League under this management will be so interesting.
Full-time: Huddersfield 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest have secured Premier League promotion!
Steve Cooper’s side will compete in the top flight for the first time in 23 years, wow!
It’s Colwill’s own goal that has sent Forest to the top.
Huddersfield 0-1 Nottingham Forest, 90 + 5 mins
This will be a huge test for Forest with Huddersfield throwing all they have as they quite literally have everything to lose.
Cook has cleared twice as Huddersfield look to thump it upfield. Worrall whacks the ball clear at halfway all the way back to Nicholls who is shouting at his players to get chances in.
I held my breath there, O’Brien was so so close to going in there. It drifts just wide to keep the Forest hopes alive.
Huddersfield 0-1 Nottingham Forest, 90 mins
It looked to be a groin problem for Samba who is limping around but is remaining on the pitch.
Spence does so well to cut out a potential cross but concedes a throw in. Forest deal with the threat well, as they have all second half. They are clinging on and the frustration is clear as a punt at goal from Pipa sails over the bar.
Huddersfield have taken their time to take a shot at goal, O’Brien takes it and Samba again saves. But that will be his last play of the day as his injury wins out.
He takes a long walk, to the boos of Huddersfield fans, as Horvath comes on.
If this comes to penalties, if Huddersfield manage to get an equaliser, it will be interesting for the new keeper.
There will be six added minutes.
Huddersfield 0-1 Nottingham Forest, 83 mins
Huddersfield have a corner as Spence plays it out, could they have their chance here?
No they do not, the chance is squandered. Forest are doing impeccably well at keeping Huddersfield at bay here, they are defending for their lives!
Toffolo hacks the ball into the box but no one is there. Then there’s anotehr discussion around a penalty for Huddersfield. Lowe took a man out in the box, apparently it was checked by VAR but it wasn’t given.
Samba is down at the moment with injury and so there’s a break in play.
Huddersfield 0-1 Nottingham Forest, 80 mins
Forest have a player injured as Nicholls collides with Surridge. The game as stopped as the forward hasn’t got back up to his feet, the keeper landed on top of him.
The star is up and looks to be staying on, a good sign for Forrest. Surridge has had a bright latter half of the season, covering for Davis who has been out injured.
Forest are on the attack but it ends in a goal kick, Huddersfield are running out of time here. They need an equaliser soon or their top flight hopes are over.
Garner clears the latest attempt from the trailing team.
Huddersfield 0-1 Nottingham Forest, 75 mins
Thomas is adament he was fouled on halfway but nothing is given and Forest play the ball back to Samba.
Oh my goodness do we have a penalty here for Huddersfield? The last man has been taken out by Colback but VAR has ruled no penalty!
I held my breath there as it could have gone either way.
Forest make another change as Lowe is on for Zinckernagel.
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