Championship play off final victory
On this day in 2022 Forest return to the Premier League by beating Huddersfield Town.
Nottingham Forest returned to the Premier League after defeating Huddersfield Town 1-0 in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.
The occasion carried enormous pressure. Forest had spent 23 years outside the top flight and had fallen behind early in the season before Steve Cooper transformed both results and belief after arriving as manager.
The decisive moment came late in the first half. James Garner sent a dangerous ball across from the right, and Huddersfield defender Levi Colwill, trying to cut it out, turned it into his own net. It was not a clean Forest finish, but it was the moment that changed the club’s direction.
Forest still had to withstand the second half. Huddersfield pressed for a way back, but Brice Samba, Joe Worrall and Scott McKenna helped Forest hold firm as the tension built across the closing stages.
When the final whistle sounded, thousands of Forest supporters erupted in celebration behind the goal at Wembley. Years of frustration, failed promotion attempts and near misses finally gave way to relief and joy.
Sources
BBC Sport; EFL; The Guardian
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