FOREST HISTORY · Historic event
Woodcock defeats Swindon in FA Cup
On this day in 1978 Forest beat Swindon Town 4–1 in the FA Cup third round.
Nottingham Forest opened their FA Cup campaign with a 4–1 win over Swindon Town at the City Ground during one of the most remarkable seasons in the club’s history.
Tony Woodcock scored twice, first after being set up by Peter Withe and later from John O’Hare’s assist. Withe also scored himself, converting after a Martin O’Neill header, while John Robertson added Forest’s third before David Moss replied for Swindon.
The result was comfortable enough to keep Forest’s cup ambitions moving without distracting from the extraordinary league and League Cup work already unfolding under Brian Clough. With Woodcock, Withe and Robertson all scoring, the match underlined how many attacking routes that side could find.
Forest’s FA Cup run eventually ended with a 2–0 sixth-round defeat at West Bromwich Albion, so this was not the start of a Wembley story. But it still belongs inside the 1977–78 season, when almost every competition seemed to carry the feeling that Clough’s side could go deep.
Sources
Transfermarkt; match programme archive; 1977–78 season records
Forest timeline
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