NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1
1 Lucky Leeds salvage point off Kemar’s arm
Aitor Karanka’s Forest were robbed of a win by a handball controversy eight minutes away from claiming a hardfought win.
Roofe guided a shot by Mateusz Klich across goal into the net using his outstretched arm, not his head, as referee Geoff Eltringham and his officials ruled.
Furious appeals, and even a brief delay in play as the referee consulted his assistant, were turned down, and Roofe was added to the pantheon of strikers who have used foul means to score.
Leeds had dominated but Forest were well on the way to soaking up the pressure.
boss Marcelo Bielsa (below) is finding the intensity of the Championship promotion race means a rollercoaster season ahead. Not for the first time Leeds found holding on to top spot impossible. Ferocious Forest held on valiantly to the lead from Robinson’s first-half header until Roofe’s sneaky intervention.
Starting the weekend top, United ended up in second spot. They almost forced a winner in injury time when Pablo Fernandez flicked just wide.
While Leeds might be the ambitious favourites to go up, Forest will be encouraged that they can climb into the top six in an increasingly tight promotion race.
Despite dominating posses- sion throughout the game Leeds were one down within 10 minutes. Forest have been finding form recently and creeping up on the play-off places with Joe Lolley excellent. He swung in the corner that allowed defender Jack Robinson to escape marker Stuart Dallas, stoop low and head home. It was a tame goal for United to concede. Lewis Grabban just failed to poach a touch on the line but managed to put off Bailey Peacock-farrell. It was Robinson’s first goal for 10 months, and a debut strike since joining in the summer from QPR. It shook Leeds into action in a blood and thunder match under the lights that showleeds cased how tough the Championship is at the top.
It was an intense battle, but with Karanka’s men able to soke up the pressure after taking the early lead.
Roofe’s “goal” was his sixth of the season, and he won’t score a more contested one.
Bielsa’s men fizzed the ball around but Forest were ferocious in their closing down and squeezed space so much finding a clear-cut chance to equalise was difficult for the home side.
Pablo Hernandez smashed goalward from outside the box, it was deflected by Daniel Fox and Costel Pantilimon pushed away.
Kemar Roofe also went close, slashing a volley wide, as Marcelo Bielsa’s chief moan – that Leeds are not clinical enough – was proven again.
The Elland Road crowd whipped up the noise after the break as Forest dug in and the home side attacked.
Grabban offered the visitors a vital outball that relieved the pressure, but did little to quell the noise as Leeds were urged on, and then their reward arrived.
Roofe said of the goal: “I just saw the ball flash across and the ball hit my hand.
“Call it ball to hand, it’s a goal and it’s up to the ref to give it and he gave it.”