Forget Ibrahim Sangare, Nottingham Forest player with eight clearances was the unsung hero vs Exeter

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Nottingham Forest beat Exeter City on penalties last night as the Reds reached the fifth round of the FA Cup where Ipswich Town await.

In fairness, this was a pretty drab contest from a Forest perspective. Nuno Espirito Santo shuffled his pack and gave starts to a number of players who had been out of the team.

Forest struggled for cohesion on a really bobbly pitch in the opening exchanges. The Reds found themselves behind when Josh Magennis opened the scoring after a mistake from Carlos Miguel.

However, Espirito Santo’s team rallied and grew into the game. First, Ramon Sosa equalised and then on 37 minutes Taiwo Awoniyi grabbed a second goal of the season with a well-taken effort.

Magennis equalised after half-time, however, and in stoppage time, Awoniyi suffered a broken nose to compound a night that could have got even worse for Forest with Exeter defending superbly after being reduced to 10 men.

• READ MORE: Forest fans fume at one player after win over Exeter

Harry Toffolo was the unsung hero against Exeter

It has to be said that the Man of the Match in this game was probably Ibrahim Sangare. It was wonderful to see him back on a football pitch and starting a game for the first time since August against Exeter.

He claimed two assists during the game and was largely impressive throughout the contest. Despite the uneven playing surface, he wasn’t fazed by that and constantly looked forward to get Forest moving on the attack.

There was another player who has perhaps gone under the radar, however. Harry Toffolo was a surprise choice to start the game at centre-back but he gave a good account of himself and bailed Forest out a lot.

Toffolo was kept at Forest beyond the January transfer window. He’s behind Neco Williams and Alex Moreno for a place in his natural position of left-back but clearly Espirito Santo values what he brings to the squad.

Harry Toffolo stats vs Exeter

Although Toffolo does possess the physical attributes of a stereotypical central defender, he proved last night that he is capable of reading the game very well.

As the game opened up towards the end of normal time, Forest had to stand firm on some occasions and ultimately, the team were indebted to Toffolo on a number of occasions.

Toffolo has proved a very useful addition to the ranks since signing from Huddersfield for £2.5 million. He’s not always been the first choice but he has been the model professional and is always a positive influence around the dressing room.

The 28-year-old will be out of contract in the summer. A defeat last night might have left him wondering when his next Forest appearance will come but on this showing, Espirito Santo might consider giving him another run out against Ipswich in round five.