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8 February, 1978

Withe brace at Leeds gives semi lead

On this day in 1978 Forest win 3–1 away to Leeds in a League Cup semi-final first leg.

Cup runs and campaigns

Reached final / semi-final / quarter-final
Peter Withe, former Forest player.
Peter Withe, former Forest player. Image: Marcel Antonisse / Anefo, via Wikimedia Commons

Forest took a major step towards their first League Cup final by winning 3–1 away to Leeds United in the semi-final first leg.

Peter Withe scored twice at Elland Road, first with a left-footed finish after a Tony Woodcock header and then with a header from Woodcock’s cross. Leeds pulled one back through Eddie Gray, but John O’Hare restored Forest’s two-goal advantage with a right-footed shot after a Peter Withe pass.

Peter Withe, former Forest player.
Peter Withe, former Forest player. Image: Marcel Antonisse / Anefo, via Wikimedia Commons

The away win gave Forest a powerful advantage before the second leg at the City Ground. It showed how quickly Brian Clough and Peter Taylor had changed the club’s expectations: Forest were not just competing with established names, they were beating them in major cup ties.

Forest completed the job in the return match, winning 4–2 at home and going through 7–3 on aggregate. The semi-final victory over Leeds became part of the route to Wembley, where Forest beat Liverpool after a replay to win the League Cup for the first time.

Match Footage

Sources

11v11; Transfermarkt; Leeds United match record

Forest timeline

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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
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Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
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Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
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Udinese 1–0 Nottingham Forest Barcelona 1–0 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 2–0 Stade Brestois 29
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
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Nottingham Forest 0–2 Leeds
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Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
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Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Coventry
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Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
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Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Brentford 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
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Bournemouth 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
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Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brighton
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Sunderland 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Everton
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Manchester United 16:30 Nottingham Forest
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Newcastle 19:30 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Fulham
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Nottingham Forest 19:30 Hull City
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Manchester City 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Chelsea 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Fulham 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Manchester United
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Everton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Newcastle
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Leeds 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Liverpool
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Sunderland
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Brighton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Crystal Palace
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Ipswich
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Coventry 16:00 Nottingham Forest
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On this day in …
1978
Withe brace at Leeds gives semi lead

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Cup runs and campaigns
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Iconic match memories