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Relive Forest's magical night at Elland Road
McCleary netted four against Leeds
Reds created history in West Yorkshire
13 years ago, Nottingham Forest headed up the M1 to Leeds United embroiled in a battle for survival in the Championship.
But the travelling Reds were in for a treat at Elland Road with records broken, goals galore and Forest returning home with an important three points in the bag.
With just five minutes played, the match appeared to be heading in the expected direction when Ross McCormack went down in the Forest box following minimal contact from Adléne Guedioura. Penalty given.
In front of the Leeds faithful, Robert Snodgrass stepped up rifle the ball into the top left corner of the net, and the expectation was firmly on the Yorkshire side going on to secure the win.
On eight minutes however, a bolt, quite literally, from the blue drew Forest level.
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Adléne Guedioura picked the ball up just inside the Leeds half of the pitch, drove forward to within 35 yards of goal before unleashing an unstoppable shot which left the home ‘keeper Andy Lonergan clutching at thin air.
Considering the final score to come, the rest of the first half was relatively quiet until the Reds went ahead for the first time on the evening just before the break.
Guedioura led the Forest break away before picking out Garath McCleary in space on the right flank. The Reds no. 12 made some space for himself and drove the ball at goal; Lonergan could only get a hand to the ball and the Reds went in ahead at the break.
Five minutes into the second period and the chaos was about to begin.
Andy Reid picked out Dexter Blackstock to head in Forest’s third of the evening, before two goals in two minutes from Luciano Becchio and Michael Brown brought the home side level once more.
Another two minutes later and Forest were back in front when McCleary’s stunning half-volley from the right edge of the box flew into the Leeds net.
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Before the hour mark, some more wing wizardry from Reid saw the Irish midfielder pick out McCleary to slide the ball home for his hat-trick and to restore Forest’s two-goal advantage.
Keeping up? We’re at 5-3 to the Reds with 30 minutes to go… and more goals on the horizon.
Guedrioura played a lovely pass into the right channel for McCleary once more to cut inside fire the ball low into the net for his fourth of the night, but the first from his left boot.
Incredibly 6-3 wasn’t enough for Forest and Blackstock netted his second of the match, and the Reds seventh of the evening after being picked out once more by the outstanding Reid.
Forest were the first side to score seven against Leeds at Elland Road. A record made better by the home side only conceding 2 in their previous five matches since Neil Warnock became their manager.
A memorable night for all in Garibaldi, and let’s be honest a truly bonkers one too.