Exeter's manager Gary Caldwell spoke out after his side's dramatic penalty shootout defeat to Nottingham Forest and said he was proud of how his team fared in front of the TV cameras.

Nuno Espirito Santo has breathed a sigh of relief as Nottingham Forest scraped through on penalties in their fourth-round FA Cup tie against Exeter.

After a nail-biting encounter that ended 2-2 after extra time at St James Park, Forest managed to secure the victory 4-2 on spot-kicks.

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Exeter City, languishing in 18th place in Sky Bet League One and facing an uphill battle against a team 59 places their senior, had a difficult run-up to the game with four losses out of five recent matches and ten goals conceded in just two games.

Despite this, Exeter's manager Gary Caldwell shared his pride with ITV: "I am really proud of the team and the whole football club really."

Commenting on the nature of the loss, he said: "We just came up short on penalties, which is a lottery."

Caldwell was impressed by the team's effort: "I thought we were outstanding. With 10 men it was backs against the wall. We could have won or lost it near the end. It is a fantastic effort from the players."

He optimistically looked ahead, stating: "I think it shows the potential and what they are capable of and they can raise their game."

Caldwell emphasised the importance of commitment: "We have to show that commitment to each other and if we do that, I am sure we have got a lot to look forward to. We have set the minimum standard."