Forest fight for Karanka to fell leaders
The Championship frontrunners suffered back-toback defeats for the first time under manager Marcelo Bielsa, let down by Kalvin Phillips’ red card.
Jack Colback had put Forest 1-0 up before Phillips’ reckless dismissal left Leeds with a daunting task.
But Bielsa’s attack-minded 10 men stunned the City Ground as Jack Clarke and Ezgjan Alioski put the Yorkshire club 2-1 up.
But Forest ended their fivematch winless run as Colback, Daryl Murphy and Ben Osborn turned around the game with three goals in a seven-minute period.
Karanka has been under scrutiny but the home fans sang out his name and he said: “I don’t have a doubt the players are playing for me. I have felt the support from the fans since I arrived.
“Our comeback in this match has been amazing. We were close to beating them away [drawing 1-1 in October] and we have done it here.”
Karanka’s men rocked Leeds with their early goal, as Adam Forshaw’s sloppy back-pass allowed Colback to pounce.
There was a huge let-off for Forest in the 18th minute though, when Jack Robinson avoided a red card and was only booked after hauling down Jack Harrison, who was through on goal.
Leeds were then hit by their red card in the 42nd minute as Phillips was punished for a crunching challenge on Adlene Guedioura.
Bielsa organised a big reshuffle at half-time and Leeds began the second half in ambitious fashion, with half-time substitute Clarke firing in a drive from Mateusz Klich’s pass.
The equaliser was not the end of Leeds’ enterprise though and they soon led when Pontus Jansson’s header teed up Alioski to smash in.
Things were looking grim for Karanka at that stage but the match swung rapidly after Forest levelled when Colback found the net from 16 yards. Jansson then turned villain for Leeds when he missed a header, allowing Murphy to nod down and make it 3-2.
And the City Ground was soon rocking as Forest added another when Osborn cut inside brilliantly and finished.
Bielsa said: “Factors were against us. We had to play a man down, we were a little bit fragile in defence. But over the 90 minutes we tried everything to win.
“When we scored our second, I thought of making a defensive change but honestly I didn’t do it because I didn’t find the right player at that moment. In defence, we were outnumbered. And it’s not a new fact that we have problems on set-pieces.
“The fact we dare to play, sometimes it has negative aspects but we have a style we should be faithful to.
“It’s obvious it wasn’t a necessary foul from Kalvin. But the player thinks he will arrive on time and makes a big effort to do it. The intention wasn’t to hurt the opponent.”
NOTTINGHAM Goals:
76.
LEEDS (4-1-4-1): Goals: Referee: FOREST Booked: Sent off: (4-2-3-1):
Pantilimon; Darikwa, Hefele (Guedioura 5), Fox, Robinson; Yacob, Colback; Lolley (Osborn 65), Carvalho, Cash; Murphy (Appiah 90). Robinson, Darikwa.
Colback 5, 69, Murphy 72, Osborn
Peacock-Farrell; Ayling, Jansson, Phillips, Douglas (Roberts 78); Forshaw; Harrison (Clarke 46), Hernandez, Klich, Alioski; Roofe. Phillips 42. Clarke 52, Alioski 64.
D England (South Yorkshire).