Wooden’s spot-kick, smashed excessive past Emi Martinez, was his two hundredth profession objective and offers Forest one thing to defend at Villa Park subsequent week.
The New Zealand worldwide solely returned this month, having been sidelined since October together with his knee challenge.
He missed everything of Sean Dyche’s reign, having surgical procedure in December, however began the quarter-final first-leg attract Porto three weeks in the past.
Lucas Digne’s baffling choice to boost his arms and deal with the ball as Omari Hutchinson tried to maintain it in play gave Wooden his probability with 19 minutes left.
There was an audible cheer when Wooden stepped as much as take the penalty – Morgan Gibbs-White having missed from the spot in opposition to Strum Graz and Braga this season.
There was a way of expectation, which is simply honest as Wooden has not missed a penalty in 10 years – since failing to attain in opposition to Hull for Leeds in April 2016.
He has now scored 28 successive spot-kicks.
“That is what I’ve to do and that is what I attempt to do. It is the job, the duty that my staff provides me,” he advised TNT.
“It is cup competitions. They arrive right down to small margins at instances. Each groups performed very nicely. But it surely’s small moments that may doubtlessly change video games. Fortunately it went in our favour tonight and hopefully once more subsequent week.
“It is one leg of the tie. It is good to have the benefit however going to Villa Park can be a troublesome recreation. They’re good at their place. However we have completed the job right here at dwelling and now hopefully we’ll construct into subsequent week.”
He scored in final Friday’s 5-0 Premier League win at Sunderland – his first objective since a penalty in opposition to Midtjylland in October – and has six objectives in 19 video games for membership and nation this season.
Wooden, 34, has explained he will have to manage his knee injury for the remainder of his life – however after watching a lot of Forest’s battle in opposition to the Premier League drop from the sidelines, he’s simply glad to be again in motion and scoring.
“That is all I needed to do,” he mentioned. “I needed to get again match and firing to assist my staff as finest as I can on the finish of the season. I knew we had so much to play for once I was combating to get match and it is exhibiting. It is some massive competitions to be part of.
“We’re within the crunch finish of the season. We have to carry out on each elements and we’ll be wanting to try this for certain.”
