Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Liveupdated1653848306

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

Sarah Rendell
Sunday 29 May 2022 14:18 EDT
Comments
(AFP via Getty Images)

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:

1653840750

Huddersfield 0-0 Nottingham Forest, 40 mins

Spence played in Zinckernagel, who’s chance is blocked. Huddersfield quickly counter but Garner puts in a cracking tackle on Ward to smother the chance, he does concede a corner kick.

Thomas takes the kick and Ward connects, his shot hits a Forest player and there’s another corner. Thomas again sends it in and there’s a pinball in the box. Garner gets it clear but Huddersfield smell blood here and they are on the hunt.

But it all ends in a Forest goal kick, that was a great spell of attack but Steve Cooper’s side weathered the storm.

Sarah Rendell29 May 2022 17:12
1653840525

Huddersfield 0-0 Nottingham Forest, 36 mins

After a bright opening start for Huddersfield, this final so far has been all Forest. The best chances have come from Steve Cooper’s side but so far Huddersfield are doing enough to repel them.

But there’s a glimpse of that Huddersfield brilliance as Thomas leaves Worrall for dust. He snatches at the ball and Samba is forced to save.

The difference between the sides in attack is Huddersfield are quick in their chances while Forest take their time to set theirs up. Again Forest are in a good position but it came from a burst of energy from Davis, you feel if he could have got the ball away instead of this slow build-up they could be ahead.

And Huddersfield are proving my point as they steal the ball and create another opportunity, Thomas is dispossed though and now Forest have the ball again!

So much action.

Sarah Rendell29 May 2022 17:08
1653840174

Huddersfield 0-0 Nottingham Forest, 30 mins

O’Brien has been targeted as a player to guard by Forest as he is fouled again, this time by Colback. Huddersfield building from deep with the play started by Sarr.

But it ends in a Forest counter which is thwarted by Sarr, he is the standout player for Huddersfield at the moment.

A mistake in the midfield from Huddersfield sees Spence snatch the ball to liven the Forest fans at Wembley. McKenna has a punt but Sarr blocks and we are back to the patient build-up play by Steve Cooper’s side.

The ball is bounded about in the box but Hogg and Toffolo come to Huddersfield’s rescue.

Sarah Rendell29 May 2022 17:02
1653839837

Huddersfield 0-0 Nottingham Forest, 25 mins

An eventual chance comes for Yates after minutes of slow buld-up int he midfield. The star sends the ball sailing over the bar with another missed opportunity.

Huddersfield look to get back into the game after lying low for the last 10 or so minutes as Hogg tried to find Sinani but Forest shut down the break.

O’Brien then finds Thomas who concedes a throw in by the corner flag. There are glimpses of brilliance from Huddersfield and Forest need to stay switched on to repel them.

Zinckernagel can’t find his switch though as he fouls O’Brien and concedes a free kick. Thomas the taker once again but it’s easily cleared.

Sarah Rendell29 May 2022 16:57
1653839537

Huddersfield 0-0 Nottingham Forest, 20 mins

Another free kick for Forest, this time McKenna the player fouled. They will have to build from deep as the challenge came in their own half.

Possession switches hands but Forest again are the victors, Steve Cooper’s side are really building here and are turning into the dominant side. A nod must be sent to Huddersfield’s Sarr though who has been great in defence, aside from that hairy moment.

And it’s another good moment for the defender, he finds himself in a tricky situation but he draws the foul to win back possession.

Sarah Rendell29 May 2022 16:52
1653839267

Huddersfield 0-0 Nottingham Forest, 15 mins

Forest have a free kick as Sarr fouls Zinckernagel.

The ball sails into the box and Yates heads towards goal but it goes just wide, the best chance of the game so far!

There’s a nervous moment for Sarr as he attempts to play it back to his keeper and it’s almost nabbed. That would have been an embarrassing moment but the ball is eventually cleared.

Forest are slowly getting a hand on this game, they’ve slowed the tempo in the midfield and look to build attack. Spence works a great one two and wins a corner in the process.

Colback takes the kick but it misses the targets and goes out of play.

Sarah Rendell29 May 2022 16:47
1653838933

Huddersfield 0-0 Nottingham Forest, 10 mins

Yates the fouled player now, it’s a fast paced and brutal opening, and Forest take it quickly. They whallop the ball upfield with Colwill conceding a throw in.

Spence took the set-piece but it’s ran out of play and now Huddersfield are on the charge! There is no breathers in the opening stages of this final so far.

Sinani loses the ball in midfield and Colwill is forced to concede another throw in to thwart a Forest counter. Yates attempts to get an opportunity underway but his cross goes out.

Both clubs giving their all and after Forest’s early nerves, it’s an even paying field.

Sarah Rendell29 May 2022 16:42
1653838643

Huddersfield 0-0 Nottingham Forest, 5 mins

There’s an early free kick for Huddersfield as Thomas is fouled. The kick, taken but the fouled man, goes wide and the first chance is squandered.

Another challenge comes in on a Huddersfield, this time on O’Brien. Thomas takes the free kick again but it’s well collected by Samba.

Huddersfield have started brighter than Forest so far but they have had a break from Spence. Sarr cleared the ball with end-to-end football! What a start.

Sarah Rendell29 May 2022 16:37
1653838259

Kick-off! Huddersfield 0-0 Nottingham Forest

Here. We. Go!

The final is underway at Wembley, who will come out on top?

Do you have Huddersfield or Forest? We will know who has bagged Premier League football in the next 90 minutes (or more).

Sarah Rendell29 May 2022 16:30
1653837559

Huddersfield vs Nottingham Forest

We are just over ten minutes away from kick-off at Wembley, how are your nerves Huddersfield and Forest fans?

It will be a nail-biting afternoon for the fans but for the neutrals it should be a cracking match at the home of English football.

The stage is set, the fans are rolling in and the players are almost out on the pitch in this fixture deciding who will be in the top flight next season.

This is what the season has been building to and we are merely minutes away...

Sarah Rendell29 May 2022 16:19

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in