Nottingham Forest’s Matty Cash and Gil Dias end Newcastle’s comeback

For two minutes Newcastle thought they had got away with it. They had trailed since the start to a header by their former striker Daryl Murphy but Salomón Rondón looked to have bailed them out with a stoppage-time equaliser. A penalty shootout loomed, or so it seemed.

It turned out Rafael Benítez’s team were still ramshackle enough to concede two more goals, first to Matty Cash and then from an almost playful chip by Gil Dias. Forest made merry against a Newcastle team bordering on ridiculous.

Aitor Karanka can take encouragement from Forest’s entertaining and effective display, which tournament organisers can cite as evidence that the Carabao Cup still has relevancy despite low attendances. The performance of Benítez’s side suggested another pertinent question: what is the point of Newcastle? Whether because of a lack of desire or a dearth of quality, this looked for a long time like an exercise in clock-punching by the bland men in black and white.

Without a Premier League win and eliminated at the first hurdle from this tournament, Newcastle’s ambition remains a point of fierce contention between Benítez and Mike Ashley. The manager made seven changes to the lineup who tried to barricade themselves into their own box against Chelsea on Sunday but Benítez insisted “no one can say anything about that because the team was still capable of winning” against hosts who are 13th in the Championship.

Forest made alterations, too. Karanka selected only six of the players who started their last Championship match but from the start Forest’s swift fluency contrasted starkly with Newcastle’s listlessness.

Joe Lolley served notice inside the first minute, tearing through midfield before teeing up Dias for a shot from 20 yards that forced Karl Darlow into a diving save. Newcastle did not wake up and one minute later they were a goal down. Dias raced along the right wing before crossing for Murphy, who headed in at the near post.

Forest continued to threaten, Lolley’s dribbling a particular delight. Newcastle struggled to cobble together moves and when they did so their workings were obvious. Forest were rarely stretched. Joselu nodded wide from close range from a corner in the 36th minute.

Newcastle nearly conceded again within five minutes of the second half with Murphy foiled by a fine tackle by Federico Fernández after Darlow had spilled a shot by Dias. Michael Hefele gave Newcastle’s markers the slip from the corner but headed wide from close range.

João Carvalho tried to deepen Newcastle’s woe just after the hour but his chip from a tight angle – more imaginative than anything produced by the Premier League team – bounced out off the crossbar.

Rondón came to their rescue, the second-half substitute lashing in a low shot from 10 yards. Newcastle celebrated. Then they switched off.

Darlow palmed a cross by Dias into the path of Cash, who drove into the net from 12 yards. Then, after Newcastle were denied a penalty for a foul on Ayoze Pérez by the Forest goalkeeper Luke Steele, Kenedy’s sloppy touch presented the ball to Dias, who looped it over Darlow from the edge of the box.

It was no more than both teams deserved. Benítez disagreed. “The penalty was so obvious, we have the feeling we deserved more,” he said. “We did not manage the start well but then we had a lot of control. The positive thing is a lot of players did well in terms of effort. It was a question of managing better these final minutes.”

Quick guide

Carabao Cup roundup

Everton’s unbeaten start to the season continued with a 3-1 victory against Rotherham that puts them into the third round. After Gylfi Sigurdsson opened the scoring from close range, Dominic Calvert‑Lewin scored twice – either side of Will Vaulks’s late header for the visitors. The result gives Marco Silva his second win as Everton manager. Millwall fought back from 2-1 down to win 3-2, after initially going behind to Jamie Ness’s 41st-minute opener for Plymouth Argyle. After Shaun Williams equalised from the spot, Argyle once again took the lead through Freddie Ladapo before an 83rd-minute equaliser from Lee Gregory was followed by the 89th-minute winner from Aiden O’Brien. Watford ran out comfortable winners over Reading, with goals from Isaac Success and Domingos Quina sealing a 2-0 win.

Photograph: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside
Thank you for your feedback.

Benítez also claimed “the atmosphere is quite good” in the Newcastle camp despite reports of a training ground row between players last week. “You want players competing, players who care,” he said.

Karanka said this victory should inspire Forest to play with similar enterprise in the Championship. “This game is confirmation that the team is not performing well [in the league] because we are under big pressure. We are here to try to build something, to grow step to step. Today we approached the game without pressure and we were much better than a Premier League team. The lesson is we have to be ourselves.”