Leeds beat Forest in battle of former European giants

LONDON, Aug 25 (Reuters) Leeds United beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 in the third tier of the English League today involving two clubs that have both graced the European Cup final.

Forest, European champions in 1979 when they beat Malmo and 1980 when they beat Hamburg SV, were left looking for their first win of the season as Jermaine Beckford scored an 89th minute winner for Leeds, runners-up to Bayern Munich in the 1975 European Cup final.

Congolese striker Tresor Kandol had given the visitors the lead on 17 minutes before Kris Commons equalised for Forest when his free kick crept in five minutes after the break.

Denis Wise's side maintained their one hundred per cent start to the season as they claw back a 15-point deduction for failing to comply with the Football League's insolvency policy when changing ownership in July. They currently stand on minus 6 points.

Leeds joined Nottingham Forest in the third division for the first time in their history this season just six years after they reached the Champions League semi-finals.

Forest were last in England's top division in 1999, seven years after their opponents were champions.

The match created a footnote in soccer history.

Forest are the only European Cup winers to play in the third tier of their domestic league and this match became the first to be contested by two former European Cup finalists at such a lowly domestic level.

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