Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi made a strong impact in his side’s dramatic FA Cup victory over Exeter City, scoring a crucial goal before being forced off with a broken nose in a night of highs and lows for the Nigerian forward.

Awoniyi, who has found himself behind Chris Wood in the pecking order at Forest, took his rare starting opportunity in style. In the 37th minute, he latched onto a pass from Ibrahim Sangare before unleashing a stunning strike from the edge of the box, doubling Forest’s lead and showcasing his attacking prowess.

However, his night took a painful turn when he collided with Exeter goalkeeper Joe Whitworth, suffering a broken nose in the process. The impact left Awoniyi in visible discomfort, and after receiving medical attention on the pitch, he had to be stretchered off.

Despite the setback, Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo was full of praise for the striker’s performance.

“I think he broke his nose, but he’s walking around smiling. He did an amazing job, he did really well today,” Nuno told talkSPORT.

The thrilling encounter ended 2-2 after extra time, with Exeter putting up a spirited fight despite being reduced to ten men following Ed Turns’ red card. Josh Magennis proved to be a key figure for Exeter, scoring twice to keep his side in the contest.

With penalties needed to settle the match, Nottingham Forest held their nerve to win 4-2 in the shootout, securing a hard-fought passage to the next round.

Awoniyi had been linked with a potential move away from Forest in January due to his limited game time, but a transfer did not materialize. Before the match, Nuno had reaffirmed his confidence in his squad.

“I think we are in a good place as a squad,” he stated. “As long as we keep ourselves healthy and work as good as we are working, I think we can compete until the end of the season.”

Reflecting on the quiet transfer window, he added: “It was a quiet window for all the clubs. It is always very difficult to operate, and we were aware of that. We had a clear intention to retain the core of the squad. All the players are here and available. We didn’t achieve what we wanted because it is very hard. We keep going.”

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