Nottingham Forest 1-0 Leeds: Brennan Johnson scores a fine volley to lift Nottingham Forest six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, while Keylor Navas impresses on his debut with some fine saves to preserve a 1-0 win over Leeds.

 

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Leeds: Brennan Johnson scores a fine winner as Steve Cooper's side maintains their good form, leaving the visitors looking over their shoulders after failing to convert another chance.

Forest's victory was secured by Brennan Johnson's first-half volley.

Leeds had several chances but were unable to break down a tenacious home defence.

Jesse Marsch's side is only a goal difference away from relegation. They like to talk about the European Cup in these parts, and more than four decades after Nottingham Forest lifted the trophy for the second time, they had a triple winner to thank for a vital three points in the battle for survival.

Keylor Navas won the Champions League three times with Real Madrid and was the oldest goalkeeper to make his Premier League debut since Andy Goram for Manchester United in 2001, at 36 years and 52 days.

However, after joining on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, Navas made an immediate impact, making four first-half saves to keep Forest in the game against Leeds.

This victory moved Forest six points clear of the relegation zone, leaving Leeds out on goal difference alone.

Nottingham Forest won thanks to a first-half volley from Brennan Johnson.

Wales' star scored with just 13 minutes remaining to maintain his recent form.

Leeds manager Jesse Marsch is struggling to get results for his struggling United side.

Jesse Marsch, the manager, said he had never felt more supported by his board, but unless results improve soon, they will face a difficult decision, with isolated chants of 'Marsch out' from the away end approaching full-time.

Leeds have won only two of their last 17 in the league and are now without top scorer Rodrigo for two months due to an ankle injury. Patrick Bamford had a poor game in his place.

MATCH INFORMATION AND PLAYER RATINGS

Navas 8.5; Williams 5 (Ayew 90), Boly 7, McKenna 5.5, Lodi 6; Danilo 5 (Aurier 46, 7.5), Freuler 6, Mangala 5 (Colback 46, 7); Gibbs-White 7; Wood 4.5 (Surridge 73, 6), Johnson 7.

Hennessey, Worrall, Lingard, Scarpa, and Felipe were not used as substitutes.

Johnson is the scorer. 13

Danilo, Boly, Williams, and Surridge have all been booked.

Steve Cooper is the manager. 7

Leeds United (4-2-3-1): Meslier 5.5; Ayling 6.5, Cooper 6.5, Wober 7, Struijk 4 (Firpo 67, 6); Adams 7, Roca 6.5 (McKennie 56, 6.5); Sinisterra 5 (Summerville 57, 6), Harrison 7 (Greenwood 83), Gnonto 7,5; Bamford 5 (Firpo 67, 6); Sinisterra 5 (Summerville 57, (Rutter 67, 6).

Robles, Kristensen, Aaronson, Joseph, and others were not substituted. Scorers:

Struijk and Wober have been reserved.

Jesse Marsch, Manager

4th Referee: Robert Jones

There were 29,363 people in attendance.

Navas had Forest released from jail after only two minutes. Willy Boly and Scott McKenna's mistakes let in Luis Sinisterra, who tried for the far corner but was denied by Navas.

Leeds were enjoying the majority of the play, but as has been so often the case this season, they made life difficult for themselves.

Pascal Struijk was fooled by Johnson on the left and gave away a free kick. Struijk could only head to Johnson on the edge of the box when Morgan Gibbs-White delivered. The homegrown star's sweet volley gave Illan Meslier no chance, and Forest took the lead. Although neither team was aware of it, replays suggested Johnson may have been offside during the move that resulted in the free kick.

On the sidelines, Marsch cut an agitated figure as his team's intelligent build-up was not matched by their finishing. The Americans felt the same way: Boly's forearm smash on Wilfried Gnonto went unpunished, and Danilo was lucky to only receive a yellow card for a dreadful challenge on Struijk.

Leeds' annoyance grew. Gnonto was found on the left by Luke Ayling, and he steered the ball across the six-yard box, where Sinisterra blasted over - his second golden chance of the half.

Then Patrick Bamford sent Gnonto clear on the left, only for the return pass to be miskick. The loose ball fell to Ayling, and Navas once again saved his team. Navas then clawed away Ayling's header across goal before taking a boot in the face from Boly. Nonetheless, he was quickly back in action, smartly parrying from Gnonto after Jack Harrison's lofted pass had Neco Williams in a terrible tangle.

Despite their dominance, Leeds almost blew it again just before halftime. Meslier raced to meet Renan Lodi's aimless ball, only for Chris Wood to arrive first and beat the Frenchman. Wood should have found a teammate right away, but he dallied, and Leeds caught up.

Wilfried Gnonto (right) was crucial to Leeds' attacking play throughout the game.

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper was dissatisfied with his team's performance in the first half.

Despite his team's lead, Forest manager Steve Cooper had had enough. He made a double substitution, replacing Danilo and Orel Mangala with Serge Aurier and Jack Colback, and switched from a midfield diamond to a 4-4-1-1 formation to give his full-backs more protection against Leeds' wide men.

Marsch remained enraged when Gnonto was denied a free kick following a scuffle with Aurier, and Tyler Adams appeared to reject Boly's offer of a handshake following a foul that earned the Forest player a yellow card.

However, Leeds would have done better to concentrate on their own defence. Another hopeful ball over the top caught them square, and Williams, who had been moved from right-back to left midfield, found himself in on goal. Ayling managed to hold him up just long enough for the attempted angled chip to go over the bar.

Though the visitors still had a lot of possession, Cooper's reshuffle was working, with Aurier policing Gnonto far better than Williams had, and Colback doing a lot of important defensive work in central midfield.

Forest became enraged with referee Robert Jones midway through the second half. Struijk held Johnson back on the touchline, but the defender avoided a second yellow card.

As his team struggled to break through, Marsch was a study in anxiety. They were also getting angrier on the pitch, with Gnonto lucky not to be sent off for booting a stray ball thrown from the crowd, which delayed a Leeds throw-in.

Sam Surridge had taken over for Wood, who had made an ineffective home debut after joining on loan from Newcastle. When the ball reached him after Meslier flapped at a free-kick but sent his effort too high, the substitute should have sealed the points.

Leeds are only a goal difference away from relegation as their poor form continues.

Cooper lapped up the applause at the end of the game, as his Forest side moved up to 13th in the league table.