PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999
Huddersfield 0 Nottingham Forest 1: Colwill own goal sends Reds back to Prem for first time since 1999 in £200m play-off
CARRIED by a wave of emotion and propelled by unstoppable momentum, Nottingham Forest are back in the Premier League after a 23-year absence.
One of English football’s grandest clubs have been away from the top flight since the last century - yet under the enlightened management of Steve Cooper, Forest have surged from the bottom of the Championship to the promised land in the space of eight months.
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A first-half own-goal from Huddersfield defender Levi Colwill was enough to settle the richest football match on Earth - and the Terriers were fuming at being denied a second-half penalty.
But the Tricky Trees will be back next season - at the Etihad, the Emirates and White Hart Lane, taunting the high and mighty with cries of "Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that!".
Cooper, the Welshman who guided England’s Under-17s to World Cup glory five years ago, has transformed fortunes at the City Ground since replacing Chris Hughton in September.
FA Cup victories over Arsenal and Leicester, as well as a near-miss in the quarter-final against Liverpool, had suggested that something special was stirring on the banks of the Trent.
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And a stunning late surge of league form, which almost won Forest automatic promotion, ended with Cooper’s men snatching play-off glory at Wembley.
Forest celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the first of their two European Cup victories tomorrow, knowing that they are back where they belong after an entire generation in the second and third tiers of the English game.
Huddersfield, who had finished third under Carlos Corberan, have enjoyed an outstanding season but they couldn’t repeat their play-off victory of 2017.
For Forest’s supporters, this was a first Wembley appearance in 30 years and it felt as if they were making up for lost time.
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They were noisy enough on the tube. Inside Wembley, the din from the red end was cacophonous.
While Cooper’s side made most of the early running, as Huddersfield defended with shape and conviction, it was a cautious, edgy affair.
You could almost see the thought bubbles above each head - "one slip and it’s £180million down the pan".
Ryan Yates headed wide from a free-kick and then blazed over from the edge of the box.
Djed Spence was lively on the right but without an end product.
Sorba Thomas was Huddersfield’s attacking outlet but aside from one cross-shot, pushed out by Brice Samba, the Terriers produced nothing in the first half.
When the goal arrived, three minutes from half-time, it was suitably scruffy.
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James Garner attempted a shot from range, Jack Colback ducked out of the way and Colwill, a teenaged Chelsea loanee, diverted it in off his knee under pressure from Yates.
With containment no longer an option, Huddersfield were far more urgent and purposeful after the break.
Jonathan Hogg headed wide at the near post from a corner and Thomas was always threatening to ignite something.
And 17 minutes from time, Carlos Corberan’s side thought they had a penalty when Colback stuck a leg out and clipped Harry Toffolo.
Yet ref Jon Moss, on his swansong appearance, made the bold decision to book Toffolo for diving.
The Terriers man was certainly looking for it, yet there was contact.
Either way, VAR Paul Tierney backed his colleague and Forest had got away with one.
It was the same story when Max Lowe brought down Lewis O'Brien in the box with what appeared to be a clumsy challenge.
Again the on-field decision was no penalty, and again VAR Tierney agreed.
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Forest had to dig in, long and hard, after that.
They lost keeper Samba to injury in the final minutes but his replacement Ethan Horvath avoided any late scares.
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