Premier League 2
Nottingham Forest U21 4 (Konate 10’, Nadin 38’, Whitehall 48’, McAdam 65’)
Leeds United U21 0
Nottingham Forest: Bott (GK), Sinclair, McAdam (Norkett 73’), Thompson, Abbott, McDonnell (C), Whitehall (Perry 61’), Nadin, Konate (Osong 46’), Gardner, Perkins. Subs not used: Willows, Newton.
Leeds: Van den Heuvel (GK), Sutcliffe (Toulson 66’), Cline (Godden 63’), Debayo, Moore (C), Monteiro, Spencer, Coleman, Thomas, Chadwick (Chambers 46’), Snowdon. Subs not used: Christy, Lopata-White.
Referee: Jason Richardson
Booked: Perkins (Nottingham Forest) Chambers, Coleman (Leeds)
Venue: St. George’s Park
Leeds United Under-21s fell to defeat against Nottingham Forest Under-21s on a frustrating afternoon at St. George’s Park in the Premier League 2.
The Whites started brightly on a blustery afternoon in Staffordshire, with Harvey Sutcliffe, Morten Spencer and Cian Coleman combining well down the right.
A clever back heel from Coleman sent right-back Sutcliffe into space inside the area, with his cross hacked clear by Forest’s Zach Abbott.
Joe Snowdon then popped up in space out on the left wing, cutting in-field and fizzing a pass into Spencer inside the area, but the forward was unable to direct an effort goalwards on the turn.
After soaking up an early spell of Whites pressure, the hosts started to grow into the game with striker Ateef Konate seeing his effort from distance charged down well by Sutcliffe.
Moments later Konate would grab his goal, racing into the area and firing low across Dani van den Heuvel and into the back of the net.
The Whites responded well to that early set back, with Snowdon seeing a strike from range blocked after Scott Gardner’s side broke quickly over halfway.
Leeds almost levelled when Kris Moore instinctively flicked Spencer’s low cross goalward at the near post, only to be denied by a fine save by Aaron Bott in the Forest goal.
That save was to prove crucial for the hosts who doubled their lead shortly afterwards, with Jack Nadin sweeping home from the edge of the area after a quick Forest counter.
Spencer almost pulled one back for the Whites just before the break, forcing Bott into another good save with his feet to deny the forward from a narrow angle.
HALF TIME: Nottingham Forest U21 2-0 Leeds United U21
The hosts started the second half on the front foot, grabbing a third of the afternoon when a corner fell fortuitously to the feet of Archie Whitehall who drilled a first-time effort beyond van den Heuvel.
After losing possession initially, Sutcliffe then made amends with a fine block to deny half-time substitute Esapa Osong from getting on the scoresheet as he shaped to shoot from close-range.
Osong was then denied by Moore as the forward searched for a goal, looking to be in an offside position as he latched onto a long pass before weaving his way into the area and striking a low shot on target.
Forest weren’t to be denied a fourth however just after the hour mark, when left-back Kyle McAdam was well-placed to bundle the ball home from close-range at the back post.
FULL TIME: Nottingham Forest U21 4-0 Leeds United U21
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