‘Absolute carnage!’: Socceroo breaks Ange’s heart as Forest suffer embarrassing loss

Nottingham Forest coughed up a 2-0 lead and two stoppage time goals as Ange Postecoglou’s side crashed to a 3-2 loss to Championship outfit Swansea City in the third round of the League Cup.

Substitute Žan Vipotnik scored the equaliser for Swansea in the 93rd minute, but it was Socceroos defender Cameron Burgess who inflicted the lethal blow on Postecoglou’s side, finding the back of the net in the 97th minute.

It was Burgess’ second goal of the match, as the 29-year-old Australian also kickstarted the Swansea comeback in the 68th minute.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!

Burgess’ winner came in stunning fashion with Forest initially clearing a corner, but the ball fell to Ethan Galbraith, who hit the crossbar from long range, only for it to rebound to Swansea skipper Burgess, who banged it home.

While the home crowd went ballistic, it was a nightmare result for new Forest manager Postecoglou after his side suffered a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in the Australian’s first game in charge on the weekend.

Forest were made to pay for not taking their chances, and not boasting enough steel defensively late in the game.

Swansea scored with three of their four shots on target for the game, and the one that did not score was Galbraith’s rocket that slammed into the crossbar.

Summing up the craziness of Swansea’s performance was that the expected score statistic recorded that Forest ended the contest with an xG of 2.83, while it was just 0.72 for the hosts.

“I just thought it was a game we really should have killed off long before it got to the stage that it did,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports.

“I got the sense we were getting a bit comfortable and thought the game would finish off easily but that’s not what happens, particularly in cup football. I thought we scored a good third goal.

“I think the lads got a bit comfortable in that moment and you’ve got to know the warning signs.

“We had to finish them off and we had plenty of opportunities to do that, and a couple of decisions didn’t go our way.

“Players just thought it would naturally finish that way and we’ve paid a heavy price for that. We need to improve.

“They (Swansea) had two shots from outside the box in the first half and didn’t really test us until right at the end.

“There were a lot of players out there who needed some football, but even within that context we were well in control of that game and should have seen it out.

“I was just frustrated that we didn’t realise the danger that could have developed by not being more clinical and killing off the opponent when we should have.”

Postecoglou said after the defeat at the Emirates that fans would witness more of his play style “from Wednesday” and that his implementation of his philosophies would not be a gradual process that may take weeks, if not months.

In the first half, that declaration seemed to be coming true as Igor Jesus scoring a double, with the second goal in particular, a display of Angeball at its best.

Every Forest outfield player touched the ball in the build up, as 19 passes were made before Jesus was left with the simplest of tap ins.

But it was a rollercoaster ride, as the worst of Postecoglou’s time at Tottenham crept in during the second half with the defensive blunders.

The result also stacks load of pressure onto the weekend’s trip to the newly promoted Burnley, as Forest still search for the first win of the Postecoglou era, as one less potential trophy remains on the table.

On the other side of the ledger, the victory was an unforgettable one for Swansea, and Australia’s Burgess.

They conceded a 97th minute equaliser from an unfortunate deflection against Hull on the weekend, and Burgess believes the tables turning was the football gods giving the Swans one back.

“We worked so hard, we go to the final whistle and after what happened at the weekend, I think we were owed one,” he told Sky Sports.

“He’s (Vipotnik) hitting form (having scored six goals in seven matches for Swansea and Slovenia). We need that, he knows that and he’s taken it on his shoulders. Long may it continue.

“We said before the game to have belief. It was a big test for us tonight to go up against a Premier League team and show what we can do.

“It’s a long season and we have to work hard but if that’s a sign of things to come then this season will be special.”

Click here to read article