‘Unacceptable to the badge’ – Dyche slams Forest display in FA Cup loss to Wrexham

Sean Dyche called Nottingham Forest’s first-half display against Wrexham “unacceptable to the badge” as the Premier League side were knocked out of the FA Cup.

Wrexham went 2-0 up before the break through goals from Liberato Cacace and Oliver Rathbone, and although Dominic Hyam added a third after the break, Callum Hudson-Odoi’s brace took the game to extra-time.

Neither side scored in the additional 30 minutes, but Arthur Okonkwo saved two penalties in the shootout to send Wrexham into the fourth round.

Wrexham knocked a Premier League side out of the FA Cup for the first time since December 1999 when they beat Middlesbrough 2-1, while they scored three goals in an FA Cup match against a top-flight team for the first time since they won 3-1 away at Brian Clough’s Forest in January 1982.

Dyche praised his side’s second-half performance, but did not hold back in his criticism of the first 45 minutes.

“The first half was completely unacceptable,” Dyche told TNT Sports.

“I let the players know, and certainly some individuals will know, and they’ve got to look in the mirror at that side of things.

“But, the strangeness of football, I thought the players that came on in the second half were a credit, and we went on and looked like a Premier League side.

“Callum’s [Hudson-Odoi] goals, brilliant from him, and we get back in it, and then as you know penalties are a lottery. We’ve created enough chances to win the game but we didn’t in the end.

“You can’t do that in the first half, completely unacceptable, to me, but also I told them to look in the mirror because that is unacceptable to the badge as well.”

The penalty shootout hero

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— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) January 9, 2026

Wrexham have now won five consecutive matches in all competitions, though it looked like that run was coming to an end in extra time against Forest.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson admitted Hudson-Odoi’s stoppage-time equaliser hurt them, but was glad to see his team bounce back.

“It was another crazy game. I was pleased how we played against a really good side, and they made changes at half time as well,” said Parkinson.

“The late goal kind of deflated us, and the crowd as well, because you got the feeling after that ‘that was our big chance’. And the first ten minutes of extra time we were almost trying to gain an acceptance of that.

“It’s a big night for the club, it really is. I’m just pleased for this group of players to write their bit of history in the FA Cup.”