Soccer

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Burnley: Zeki Amdouni scores late winner

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Burnley: Vincent Kompany’s side advance to Carabao Cup third round as Zeki Amdouni scores stoppage time winner at City Ground

  • Burnley knocked Nottingham Forest out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday
  • Substitute Zeki Amdouni handed Vincent Kompany’s side a late victory
  • Would Mohamed Salah ‘do the dirty’ on Liverpool by leaving? And what about Man United ‘diving’?: Listen to It’s All Kicking Off, Mail Sport’s new podcast

Zeki Amdouni’s late strike sent Burnley into the third round of the Carabao Cup in a match that may be remembered as Brennan Johnson’s Nottingham Forest swansong.

Amdouni volleyed home from close range in the first minute of stoppage time at the end of a dire game that neither side really deserved to win.

With Johnson on for the final 20 minutes as Tottenham prepare to make a bid for Forest’s £45million-rated homegrown attacker this week, Forest fans were left wondering whether he had played his last game for the club. They cheered and chanted Johnson’s name when he replaced Cheikhou Kouyate.

The final two days of the transfer window will be very busy for Forest, who are poised to complete the signings of defenders Nuno Tavares and Murillo today/on Thursday along with midfielder Nicolas Dominguez.

More are expected to follow on Friday with Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi and Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi firm targets, while Johnson is unlikely to be the only player to depart as Forest conduct another summer reshuffle.

Burnley secured a late winner at the City Ground to knock Nottingham Forest out of the Carabao Cup

Switzerland international Zeki Amdouni (left) came off the bench to score a late winner

Burnley may also enter the market after suffering three injuries on the night, the most serious of which appeared to be defender Hjalmar Ekdal, who was carried off on a stretcher shortly before the hour mark after a lengthy delay.

Boss Vincent Kompany, who made 10 changes, had to make his third enforced substitution after watching Vitinho and Aaron Ramsey also take knocks.

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Burnley manager Vincent Kompany made a swathe of changes but saw his team clinch victory late on

Forest star Brennan Johnson (left) played what many feel could be his last game for the club amid interest from Tottenham

MATCH FACTS 

Nottingham Forest (3-5-2): Turner 6; Aurier 5.5, Niakhate 6, Boly 5.5; Montiel 6 (Gibbs-White 71, 6), Yates 6, Santos 5.5, Kouyate 6.5 (Johnson 72, 6), Williams 6 (Toffolo 71, 6); Wood 6 (Awoniyi 88), Elanga 6.5. Subs not used: Horvath, Felipe, Hwang, Aguilera, Aina.

Booked: Kouyate, Johnson, Aurier

Manager: Steve Cooper 6

Burnley (4-3-3): Muric 6.5; Vitinho 6 (Al-Dakhil 35, 6), Ekdal 6 (Cullen 58, 6.5), O’Shea 6, Taylor 6; Redmond 6 (Amdouni 78, 7), Brownhill 6, Ramsey 5.5 (Berge 51, 7); Gudmundsson 6, Rodriguez 6 (Foster 78, 6), Bruun Larsen 6 (Odobert 78, 6.5). Subs not used: Trafford, Cork, Benson.

Scorers: Amdouni 90+1

Booked: Ekdal, Brownhill, Muric, Berge

Manager: Vincent Kompany 6.5

Referee: Robert Madley 6

Attendance: 27,766

Forest gave debuts to World Cup winner Gonzalo Montiel and Chelsea loanee Andrey Santos, while Anthony Elanga made his first start, but all struggled to find rhythm in a desperately poor game.

Neither goalkeeper had a serious save to make in an error-strewn match that both sides appeared keen to get out of the way quickly before refocusing on the Premier League.

Ryan Yates missed a glorious chance to put Forest in front when he headed Elanga’s cross wide from six yards.

And the home side were made to pay when Amdouni, who had delivered an impressive cameo, pounced on uncertain defending to slam beyond the static Matt Turner.

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