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NOTTINGHAM FOREST HISTORY
30 January, 1979

Goalless draw at Watford seals final

On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1979 Forest hold Watford to reach a second successive League Cup final.

Cup runs and campaigns

Reached final / semi-final / quarter-final
Clean sheet for Peter Shilton, pictured 2008.
Clean sheet for Peter Shilton, pictured 2008. Image: Joebloggsy at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nottingham Forest reached Wembley again by shutting out Watford in the League Cup semi-final second leg at Vicarage Road.

Brian Clough’s side had done the decisive attacking work at the City Ground, winning the first leg 3-1 to give themselves control of the tie. That left the return match with a different shape: Watford had to chase, while Forest had to stay calm, organised and awkward to break down.

Clean sheet for Peter Shilton, pictured 2008.
Clean sheet for Peter Shilton, pictured 2008. Image: Joebloggsy at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

There were no goals on the night, but the 0-0 draw suited Forest perfectly. Peter Shilton and the defence kept Watford out, the midfield protected the aggregate lead, and Clough’s side managed the occasion with the authority of a team now used to big knockout nights.

The result completed a 3-1 aggregate win and sent Forest back to Wembley for a second successive League Cup final. It was not a spectacular evening, but it was a professional one: exactly the kind of away performance that turns a first-leg advantage into another final.

Forest went on to beat Southampton 3-2 at Wembley, retaining the League Cup and adding another trophy to the remarkable Clough and Taylor era.

Sources

Old Watford; Worldfootball.net

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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
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Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
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Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
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Udinese 1–0 Nottingham Forest Barcelona 1–0 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 2–0 Stade Brestois 29
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
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Nottingham Forest 0–2 Leeds
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Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
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Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Coventry
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Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
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Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Brentford 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
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Bournemouth 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
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Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brighton
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Sunderland 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Everton
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Manchester United 16:30 Nottingham Forest
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Newcastle 19:30 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Fulham
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Nottingham Forest 19:30 Hull City
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Manchester City 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Bournemouth
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Chelsea 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brentford
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Fulham 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Manchester United
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Everton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Newcastle
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Tottenham 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Aston Villa
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Leeds 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Liverpool
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Sunderland
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Brighton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Crystal Palace
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Arsenal 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Ipswich
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Coventry 16:00 Nottingham Forest
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