Byram earns festive point for Leeds United
Although playing away, the Whites controlled large parts of the game, but were trailing from the 17th minute after letting in a soft goal and had their patience tested before equalising to draw 1-1.
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Hide AdLeeds, fielding an unchanged starting line-up, got on the ball from the first minute, playing more football than the hosts probably expected, and got an early shot in, Stuart Dallas sending a shot just wide from the edge of the box.
Chris Wood got free from a Dallas corner only to see his weak header cleared and Byram then had shouts for a penalty rightly waved away when he fell easily in the box and was booked for a dive.
But right against the play it was Forest who took the lead when Giuseppe Bellusci misjudged a long ball by Matt Mills and Nelson Oliveira capitalised to get to the ball ahead of Marco Silvestri, go round him and stroke the ball into the unguarded net.
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Hide AdOliveira sent a 25-yard shot wide, but Leeds made the most of the running again without having any cutting edge to their good approach play, the closest to a goal being when Wood again headed weakly, meeting one of many inviting crosses from the impressive left-back Charlie Taylor.
Forest started the second half on the attack when they won a free-kick on the edge of the box and Oliveira hit a shot inches over.
But Leeds again took command as Byram headed over from a corner, Wood sliced a shot wide on the run after getting in behind the home defence and Byram could only get another weak header in.
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Hide AdThe hosts threatened when defender Matt Mills came forward for a corner and saw his header cleared off the line by Luke Murphy.
Forest sub Jamie Ward saw a 20-yard shot tipped over in a rare save for Silvestri before United finally had their reward with an equaliser on 80 minutes
Leeds sub Souleymane Doukara played a nice one-two with fellow sub Mirco Antenucci on the edge of the box to open some space for Byram and the young defender turned attacker fired a superb low shot into the bottom corner of the net.
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Hide AdIt was the cue for an exciting finish as both sides came close to winning the match.
Antenucci should have done better with a chance in the box following a great pull back by Scott Wootton and Wood completed his disappointing display when miskicking after being presented with a good opportunity in the area.
But Forest came even closer as their sub Oliver Burke struck the post with a shot from the edge of the box after the ball fell to him when Liam Cooper had made a superb defensive block to deny Ward.
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Hide AdMurphy curled a shot over from the edge of the box in added time and it was all over when another late chance went begging from a low free-kick put into the box as Cooper failed to make clean contact.
Match facts
(Oliveira 17)
(Byram 80)
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Sky Bet Championship
Attendance: 27,551
Forest: De Vries, Lichaj, Mills, Hobbs, Mancienne, Lansbury, Vaughan (Burke 83), Mendes (Ward 61), Osborn, Oliveira, O’Grady (Tesche 68).
Leeds: Silvestri, Wootton, Bellusci, Cooper, Taylor, Byram (Coyle 90+2), Cook (Doukara 62), Bridcutt, Murphy, Dallas (Antenucci 77), Wood.
Referee: James Linington.