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1 January, 2019

Comeback win stuns leaders Leeds

On this day in 2019 Forest fight back to beat Leeds 4–2 at the City Ground.

Iconic match memories

Comeback or dramatic turnaround
Double-goal scorer Jack Colback, former Forest player, pictured 2010.
Double-goal scorer Jack Colback, former Forest player, pictured 2010. Image: mikebrown59, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nottingham Forest produced one of the sharpest comebacks of their Championship season by beating Leeds United 4-2 at the City Ground.

Leeds arrived as league leaders, but Forest struck first when Jack Colback punished a weak back-pass, rounded Bailey Peacock-Farrell and finished. Kalvin Phillips was sent off before half-time for a strong challenge on Adlene Guedioura, yet the match still turned against Forest after the break.

Double-goal scorer Jack Colback, former Forest player, pictured 2010.
Double-goal scorer Jack Colback, former Forest player, pictured 2010. Image: mikebrown59, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jack Clarke and Ezgjan Alioski put ten-man Leeds 2-1 ahead, creating the kind of tension that could easily have swallowed the home side. Instead, Forest answered with three goals in seven minutes. Colback levelled from close range, Daryl Murphy headed Forest back in front, and Ben Osborn sealed the win with a curling finish after cutting in from the left.

The result lifted Forest into seventh and cut Leeds’ lead at the top to two points. For supporters, it was remembered less as a routine home win and more as a day when a wobbling side suddenly found energy, noise and belief again.

Sources

Nottingham Forest official site; Sky Sports; The Guardian; ESPN

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JANUARY
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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
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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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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 2–0 Stade Brestois 29
22
Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
25
Nottingham Forest 0–2 Leeds
29
Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest
5
Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
12
Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
19
Nottingham Forest 0–1 Coventry
11
Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
18
Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
23
Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
31
Brentford 15:00 Nottingham Forest
7
Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
21
Bournemouth 15:00 Nottingham Forest
27
Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
2
Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
5
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brighton
12
Sunderland 15:00 Nottingham Forest
19
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Everton
27
Manchester United 16:30 Nottingham Forest
30
Newcastle 19:30 Nottingham Forest
2
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Fulham
5
Nottingham Forest 19:30 Hull City
16
Manchester City 15:00 Nottingham Forest
23
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Bournemouth
30
Chelsea 15:00 Nottingham Forest
6
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brentford
10
Fulham 20:00 Nottingham Forest
20
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Manchester United
27
Everton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
3
Nottingham Forest 20:00 Newcastle
13
Tottenham 15:00 Nottingham Forest
20
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Aston Villa
10
Leeds 15:00 Nottingham Forest
17
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Liverpool
24
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Sunderland
1
Brighton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
8
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Crystal Palace
15
Arsenal 15:00 Nottingham Forest
23
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Ipswich
30
Coventry 16:00 Nottingham Forest