Arthur Okonkwo was the hero as Wrexham secured a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Premier League Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round, delighting co-owner Ryan Reynolds in the stands. The goalkeeper saved spot-kicks from Igor Jesus and Omari Hutchinson, rendering James McClean's miss irrelevant, after a thrilling 3-3 draw that saw Callum Hudson-Odoi force extra time with a last-minute double.
Wrexham led 3-1 through goals from Liberato Cacace, Ollie Rathbone and Dom Hyam, but Hudson-Odoi scored twice, including an 89th-minute equaliser, to send the tie to extra time. Forest's Sean Dyche was furious with his side's first-half display, saying it was 'completely unacceptable' and 'miles off'. Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson praised his team's resilience and urged them to savour a famous night for the club's FA Cup history.
Forest made eight changes but started brightly, though Douglas Luiz had a goal disallowed for handball. Wrexham capitalised on defensive errors, with Cacace opening the scoring after Hutchinson lost possession. Rathbone doubled the lead before Igor Jesus pulled one back for Forest. Hyam's header restored Wrexham's two-goal cushion, but Hudson-Odoi's late heroics forced extra time, where neither side could find a winner. Okonkwo's shootout saves sealed the upset, with Parkinson calling him 'a colossus'.
