Premier League 2
Nottingham Forest U21 0
Leeds United U21 1 (Cresswell 85’)
Nottingham Forest: Bott (GK), Back (Anisjko 88’), McAdam, Hammond, Abbott, Perry (C), Sinclair, Perkins, Fletcher (Thompson 73’), Nadin (Whitehall 88’), Powell (Gardner 44’). Subs not used. Griffiths (GK).
Leeds: Mahady (GK), Dudley, Ferguson, Crew (Toulson 90’), Debayo, Mullen, Douglas (Vincent 61’), Cresswell (C), Chambers, Chadwick (McFadden 80’), McDonald. Subs not used: Grainger (GK), Lopata-White.
Venue: Loughborough University Stadium
Referee: Richard Aspinall
Booked: Perkins (Nottingham Forest) Chambers, Crew, Ferguson (Leeds)
Leeds United Under-21s made it five straight wins in all competitions with an impressive victory over Nottingham Forest Under-21s in Loughborough.
Deadlocked heading into the dying moments, a fantastic free kick from captain Alfie Cresswell proved to be the difference for Scott Gardner’s in-form Whites!
The home side had started brightly however in Leicestershire, with Charlie Crew and then Louie Dudley called upon to make crucial interceptions inside the Whites’ penalty area to avert danger from the left.
Scott Gardner’s team quickly began to enjoy much more of the ball after navigating the early pressure, with Crew and Sam Chambers’ influence growing in particular.
The Wales international fizzed an incisive pass into the feet of Chambers who, on the night deployed in a false nine role, wriggled past a flurry of red shirts before sliding a ball through for Connor Douglas on the right flank.
Driving into the Forest area, the forward drilled an effort across goal, seeing his strike sail narrowly beyond the far post with Reds’ keeper Aaron Bott diving at full stretch.
The pair would be at it again moments later, before Chambers, once more leaving defenders in his wake, played a fine one-two with Rhys Chadwick.
An intelligent flick sent Cresswell through on goal and the evening’s captain would have opened the scoring, if not for a magnificent sprawling save from Bott at close range.
The hosts’ defence was struggling to contain Chambers, with the Scotland youth international again setting off on a marauding run, this time finding the feet of Chadwick who rifled a low strike just the wrong side of the woodwork.
Keen to stem the one-way traffic, Forest sent a timely reminder of their threat on the break as Kristan Fletcher looked to latch onto a cross, only for Jeremiah Mullen and Rory Mahady to recover well and clear.
Approaching the break, Cresswell again went close, glancing a header over Bott’s goal after rising highest to meet a teasing Chadwick delivery from the left.
Further chances came and went for both sides, including a powerfully hit free kick from Fletcher that Mahady watched fly over the bar, but neither team were able to break the deadlock as referee Richard Aspinall brought proceedings to a halt.
HALF TIME: Nottingham Forest U21 0-0 Leeds United U21
With both sides unchanged at the interval, play resumed with the two teams enjoying spells of possession and looking to use the flanks to create the early inroads.
Forest substitute Joe Gardner picked the ball up on the left and twisted and turned his way into the area, ultimately hitting a tame effort straight at Mahady under pressure from Dudley and James Debayo.
A cross-field searching pass then landed at the feet of Kyle McAdam in space 12 yards from goal, though the defender dragged a wayward shot wide of the far post.
Gardner again went close with the hosts searching for the opener but superb defending from full-back Dudley saw the defender block the close-range strike.
Mahady’s services were then called upon as the Scottish keeper saved well from Jimmy Sinclair, clutching the winger’s left footed curling effort.
Keen to gain a foothold in the second period, a chance presented itself when a yellow shirt was sent tumbling to the floor 25 yards from goal.
Having scored from similar distance last time out against Stockport, up stepped Chadwick to try and emulate his heroics, but the midfielder powered a fizzing strike narrowly over the bar.
Substitute Max McFadden almost raced on to an inventive ball over the top from Debayo as the game entered its final 10 minutes, only for the alert Bott to race out and smother the danger.
The Whites, on the night in yellow, drove forward once more and won a corner on the left which, with Cresswell lurking dangerously just yards from goal, was bundled behind by a Forest defender.
An incisive pass from Harvey Vincent then picked out the marauding run of skipper Cresswell who was felled on the edge of the area.
The versatile defender, used in the heart of the midfield in Loughborough, took charge immediately grabbing the ball as a firework lit up the night sky behind the goal.
Cresswell duly obliged, rocketing a fierce drive, albeit aided by a slight deflection on the way, into the corner beyond the despairing dive of Bott to put United into the lead!
The hosts threw bodies forward in the search of a last gasp leveller, but Leeds’ defence stood firm to earn their fifth straight win in all competitions.
FULL TIME: Nottingham Forest U21 0-1 Leeds United U21
