Nottingham Forest back in Premier League after 23 years with Play-Off win
2 min read
Levi Colwill’s own goal was the difference as Nottingham Forest secured promotion to the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-off final.
Steve Cooper’s side were in the ascendancy in the first half and their reward at Wembley Stadium arrived when Colwill turned into his own net after 43 minutes.
Huddersfield were left aggrieved in the second half after referee Jonathan Moss did not award Harry Toffolo a penalty for a challenge by Jack Colback, and Lewis O’Brien had a strong case for a spot-kick too.
But Forest held firm to secure their return to the Premier League for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
Forest made a promising start as Ryan Yates flicked a header narrowly wide from a James Garner free-kick.
Yates skewed another presentable chance over but the pressure from Cooper’s side seemed to have subsided until just before the interval, when Colwill inadvertently diverted into his own goal following Garner’s teasing cross.
Yates tamely fired into the hands of Huddersfield’s Lee Nicholls after the break, while an unmarked Jonathan Hogg wastefully headed over from Sorba Thomas’ corner at the other end.
Huddersfield grew into the game past the hour mark and Toffolo thought he had won a penalty but was instead booked for diving after going down under the challenge of Colback.
O’Brien had what looked to be a similarly strong appeal turned down following clumsy play from Max Lowe, leaving Huddersfield furious in defeat as Forest – who had to take off goalkeeper Brice Samba due to injury – gained promotion.
