Archive May 11, 2025

It was the last thing that Nuno Espirito Santo needed.

His Nottingham Forest side had just squandered the chance to take a significant step towards securing Champions League football next season by conceding a late equaliser to rivals Leicester City.

The Portuguese coach was shaking hands at full-time with Leicester midfielder Oliver Skipp, who he briefly managed at Tottenham, when Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis intervened.

The Greek businessman, clearly furious at the result, delivered what appeared to be the most public of dressings down to his manager. Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville called Marinakis’ actions “scandalous”.

Marinakis defended his actions in a post-match statement, saying: “We were frustrated around the injury of Taiwo [Awoniyi] and the medical staff’s misjudgement on Taiwo’s ability to continue the game.

“This is natural, this is a demonstration of the passion we feel for our club.”

Nuno was keen to stress that the Greek owner’s actions were down to “confusion” over the use of striker Awoniyi.

The Nigerian emerged from the bench following Leicester’s late equaliser, charged with finding a winner.

He showed his desperation to score when he slid in at the backpost in the hope of connecting with an Anthony Elanga cross, only to collide with the goalpost.

The 27-year-old was down for several minutes as he received treatment, inadvertently halting any hopes Forest had of quickly restoring their lead.

Awoniyi signalled he was fine to continue, persuading Nuno to leave him on the pitch, instead bringing on Jota Silva for midfielder Elliot Anderson.

But the forward remained in discomfort, which Nuno said infuriated owner Marinakis.

“It [the conversation with Marinakis] was due to the situation and the confusion over the substitution of [Taiwo Awoniyi],” Nuno said.

“We made a [different] sub and after that we played with one man less so that frustrates everyone.

“When a player is down, you get information that he is OK to continue, then we make a sub and it turns out he can’t continue. We are all frustrated with that.

“Football is emotions. It’s difficult to control [and] especially when we had so much expectation and the fans were incredible.”

Pushed on whether he was comfortable with being approached in so public a manner by Marinakis, Nuno again praised the owner.

“It is because of the owner and his passion that we are growing as a club. He pushes us. He wants us to be better,” Nuno added.

“It is his passion and desire to be a big club – 30,000 people felt the same today. For sure, many of them would go on the pitch and shake us down.

Nuno’s defence might not quieten any criticism of Marinakis.

Speaking on Sky Sports following the match, former Manchester United captain Neville described the Greek’s actions as an “absolute joke”.

“What the Forest owner has just done on the pitch over at the City Ground is absolutely scandalous and if I was Nuno I’d be going and having a strong word with him because that is an absolute scandal.

“He’s just qualified for European competition. To be remonstrated with on the pitch in front of their own fans is an absolute joke.”

Marinakis’ time at Forest has not been without incident since he bought a controlling share in 2017.

The businessman, who also controls Greek team Olympiakos and Portuguese side Rio Ave, has helped to make the club a Premier League force.

The 57-year-old was handed a five-match stadium ban in 2024 after spitting on the floor towards match officials following a 1-0 defeat to Fulham.

He later said he had “no regrets” over his actions because they were due to “big mistakes” by the officials.

In April, documents filed at Companies House showed that Marinakis had ceased to become a “person with significant control” of NF Football Investments Limited, the vehicle that owns the City Ground club.

The Greek had taken the decision to dilute his shares, placing them in a blind trust.

However, he remains Forest owner and is committed to the club. Instead, the move has been seen as a decision taken in preparation for the club potentially qualifying for the Champions League.

Rothesay County Championship Division One, Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford (day three)

Yorkshire 216 & 426-6 dec: Lyth 185, Bairstow 79, Wharton 61; Thain 3-96

Essex 123: Pepper 30; Hill 6-51, Coad 3-20 & 64-4 White 3-17

Essex (3 pts) need another 456 to beat Yorkshire (3 pts) with six wickets standing

Adam Lyth’s patiently accumulated 185, and Jonny Bairstow’s typically belligerent half-century, set Essex an unlikely 520 to prevent Yorkshire chalking up their second County Championship win of the season.

Lyth’s second century of the spring, the 39th of his 18-year first-class career, spanned six hours and 41 minutes of determination and obduracy.

The 37-year-old left-hander shared a 153-run second-wicket stand with James Wharton, who added 61 to his unbeaten 63 from the first innings, that underpinned Yorkshire’s 426-6 declared.

The declaration was hastened by Bairstow’s 79 from74 balls that included three sixes and was part of a roller-coaster sixth-wicket stand of 99 with Matty Revis, who contributed 37 off 32 balls.

Bairstow, dropped on five by slip that would have enhanced Thain’s analysis, played an unorthodox reverse sweep-cum-pull that sent a delivery from Critchley for six over point.

With the declaration looming, Bairstow and Revis rattled off 29 runs in a 14-ball spree before the captain raced past his second half-century of the season with two sixes in the last over before tea from Shane Snater that also included a ramped four.

Yorkshire batted on for 14 balls after tea before Bairstow holed out to long-on and immediately called a halt to proceedings.

With Sam Cook rested in light of his potential England debut against Zimbabwe later this month, the Essex attack had lacked penetration.

And the only consolation for Essex’s dispirited fielders who circled the boundary by the end, were career-best bowling figures of 3-96 for young seamer Noah Thain.

The sense of gathering despair continued when Essex batted.

They lost four wickets in the 27 overs that remained in the day in the face of some accurate seam bowling from Jack White, who took 3-17.

Essex eked out 64 runs by the close but, with 456 to win, are staring down the barrel of back-to-back defeats when they resume on day four.

Their chances of batting out nearly four sessions became considerably slimmer when White got a delivery to jump up around Dean Elgar’s adam’s apple as early as the second over and it was fended off into third slip’s hands.

George Hill followed up his six-wicket haul from the first innings by trapping Tom Westley lbw with only his fourth delivery in the second.

And next over Charlie Allison drove White uppishly to a tumbling mid-off while Robin Das nudged one to first slip.

Aldershot Town scored three second-half goals as they beat Spennymoor Town 3-0 to win the FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium.

Jack Barham opened the scoring early in the second half, bundling the ball home after a cross by James Henry from the right-hand side.

With 20 minutes remaining, manager Tommy Widdrington’s side doubled their lead, Dan Ellison glancing the ball into the net from a corner kick.

The Shots fans that made the trip to Wembley travelled in great numbers, and with over 18,000 tickets sold they packed out their allocated quarter of the ground.

Before the match, their supporters were bouncing as the players made their way to the pitch, a sea of red and blue throwing balloons and streamers into the air.

It was the National League side’s Wembley debut after they beat Woking 2-1 to progress to the final, while Spennymoor, of the National League North, reached the final after beating Rochdale on penalties.

Despite being smaller in number, the Spennymoor supporters still made a decent noise, with a big group of their fans packed into a section behind the goal as well as further along the stand.

It was Aldershot who had the first real chance, a cross was whipped in from the right and forward Barham’s glancing header sailed just wide of the far post.

After 20 minutes Spennymoor had a brilliant chance to take the lead. Finley Shrimpton burst down the right and charged into the box, laying the ball off to Rob Ramshaw, but his weak attempt fell right into the grasp of Aldershot keeper Marcus Dewhurst.

Early in the second half, Aldershot found the breakthrough that they were looking for when Barrett produced a beautiful touch to send Henry down the right.

His cross found Barham waiting at the far post and he helped the ball over the line before standing on the advertising boards in front of him, hands raised to the delighted Shots fans.

That lead was then doubled with 20 minutes remaining as Barrett sent in an inswinging corner and Ellison was there to nod it home.

Aldershot Town boss Tommy Widdrington told BBC Radio Surrey:

“I thought the lads struggled a bit in the first half, but in the second we really stepped up and the substitutions were very positive.

“There is not a prouder person in this stadium. I’m very appreciative of the support I’ve had during my health problems and the people of Aldershot have been incredible.

“To finish the year I had with this moment is great. This final is the best of the teams outside the top four divisions, it’s no mean feat to win this.

“The town of Aldershot have been waiting to go to Wembley, they have all come out and I’m thrilled to take the trophy back to the town.

Aldershot Town goalscorer Josh Barrett told BBC Radio Surrey:

“It’s crazy, I can’t believe these scenes, we didn’t really execute the game plan in the first half but in the second half we dominated. That finish was one I knew was coming, I always try things and that’s who I am.

“The fans deserve this, give our manager some money and we will be a League Two team in no time, let’s hope we can get back up that table next season.

Spennymoor Town boss Graeme Lee told BBC Radio Tees:

“I feel emotional, it’s been one hell of a journey just to get here.

“Every single one of the lads should be very proud, we just fell a little bit and weren’t able to get back into the game after going behind.

“It’s unbelievable for us to reach the final and in the first half we created some great chances, unfortunately we just got punished in the second.