Devon Double Dreamland…. Denied

After Plymouth shattered the aura of invincibility of a Liverpool team tearing up both Premier and Champions Leagues, the appetite for giant-killing made its way across Dartmoor National Park to Exeter City and their St. James Park.

The giant-killing they were looking for was Nuno Espirito Santo’s high flying Nottingham Forest, a huge 59 places above them in the pyramid and on course to return to the Champions League next season.

Nothing much for a team struggling near the bottom of League One to hope for then, but this is Devon and the FA Cup….

It took just 5 minutes for the Grecians to take the lead through the opportunism of Josh Magennis to pounce of Carlos Miquel’s handling error and stab home from point blank range.

Sure that lead only lasted 10 minutes before they were pegged back and when Taiwo Awoniyi fired Forest into the lead 7 minutes before the break it seemed that the hosts hopes were slipping through their fingers.

Clearly no-one told Magennis, who scooped home the rebound of his own header 5 minutes into the second half to claw the hosts level.

Having survived the rest of the half it looked to be collapsing in front of their eyes as Ed Turns saw red on his debut for kneecapping Morgan Gibbs-White in full flow 3 minutes from time, but the hosts held on to force extra time.

A gargantuan backs-to-the-wall defensive masterclass was called for to survive 33 minutes a man light against the surprise package of the Premier League and that’s exactly what the Grecians delivered, now all they needed was the fairytale ending.

Victory on penalties would’ve worked, but that’s when David finally succumbed to Goliath.

Reece Cole and Angus MacDonald were the unfortunate souls to be denied from 12 yards crushing the dreams of a Devon Double in the FA Cup over 2 of the top 3 teams in England.

So near and yet so far, but surely pushing one of the best teams in the country so close after playing a third of the 120 minutes a man light will inspire them to launch themselves clear of the drop zone, currently just 5 points below them.

A trip to bottom of the league Cambridge United this Saturday is a perfect place to start.