Stuart Pearce has said that he was "proud" of the performance of his Nottingham Forest players despite a 3-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur tonight.

The Championship side went ahead midway through the second half, but conceded three goals in the final 20 minutes as they exited the League Cup at the third-round stage.

After the game, Pearce told BBC Sport that the players showed the club is "going in the right direction".

He said: "We had a gameplan. We went in to defend deep and counter attack and I was very proud of the way we imparted that on the game.

"We showed this club is going in the right direction and it is a very healthy place to be at the moment.

"Some of these players needed first-team football and I'm not sure if I'd have fielded another side whether I'd have seen a better performance. A few players here showed me they are ready to start again on Saturday."

Tottenham have been rewarded with a home tie against Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round.