Forest still hold lead

Press, 14 November 1977, Page 3

Forest still hold lead

NZPA-Reuter London Nottingham Forest. held their three-point lead in the English football championship with "a 2-1 home win over Manchester United on Saturday. But Everton, best placed of the three clubs who began the day bracketed second, had the same margin over Birmingham. Like Forest, they had to I rub out an early deficit. Bob Latchford, a likely striker

for England against Italy next Wednesday, did it for Everton and early in the second half scored a decisive second.

Forest were trailing to a Stuart Pearson goal within seven minutes, Kenny Burns made it one-all at the start of the second half but there were only 15 minutes left when Forest’s latest recruit, Scotland midfield man Archie Gemmill, won the match for them.

West Bromwich dropped out of their shared second place at West Ham after a match which swung crazily and ended 3-3. Alan Devonshire scored his first goal for West Ham to put. them level and scored again when West Bromwich had regained the lead. Defender John Wile moved upfield to score two in two minutes for West Bromwich before half-time.

Liverpool, starting the day a point behind Everton and company, were shocked in London where Queen’s Park Rangers went ahead in 40 seconds. Leighton James, their recent addition from Derby, scored.

Just when Liverpool, on track record, should have mounted their counter-attack Stan Bowles put Rangers two-up. And there it stayed. ENGLISH LEAGUE Division one.—Everton 2, Birmingham City 1: Nottingham Forest 2. Manchester United 1; Queens Park Rangers 2, Liverpool 0; West Ham United 3, West Bromwich Albion 3; Arsenal 1. Coventry City, 1; Aston Villa 0. Middlesbrough .1; Bristol Citv 3, Derby County 1; Leicester City 2. Ipswich Town 1 1; Manchester City 2. Leeds I United 3; Norwich City 0, Chelsea 0: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1. Newcastle United 0. I Division two. —Bolton Wanjderers 2, Charlton Athletic 1; I Brighton and Hove Albion 1, ■ Orient 0: Crystal Palace 1, TotItenham Hotspur 2; Hull City 4, Cardiff City 1; Mansfield Town

3, Luton Town 1; Stoke City 2, Fulham 0: Sunderland 5, Bristol Rovers I: Burnley 3, Notts County 1: Millwall 1, Blackburn Rovers 1; Sheffield United 1, Oldham Athletic 0; Southampton 2, Blackpool 0. Division three.—Carlisle United 3, Portsmouth 1: Gillingham 1, Exeter City 0; Hereford United 3. Walsall 2: Oxford United 1, Sheffield W’ednesday 0: Bradford City 2. Bury 1; Cambridge United 5. Lincoln City 0; Chester 2. Port Vale 1; Plymouth Argyle 2 Chesterfield 0; Preston North End I. Wrexham 3; Rotherham United 0. Peterborough United 1; Tranmere Rovers 2, Shrewsbury Town 0.

Division four.—Aidershot 3, Torquay United 0; Doncaster Rovers'4, Northampton Town 2; Grimsby Town 0, Reading 1; Huddersfield Town v. Wimbledon postponed; Swansea City 5, Crewe Alexandra 0; Watford 4. Scunthorpe United 1; Barnsley 0. Brentford 0; Darlington 2, Southend United 0; Newport County 2, Halifax Town 0: Rochdale I, Bournemouth 1; York City 2, Southport 1. SCOTTISH LEAGUE Premier division. —Celtic 1, Rangers 1: Hibernian 0, Dundee United 0; Aberdeen 0. Ayr United 0; Partick Thistle I, Clydebank 0: St Mirren 1, Motherwell 0.

Division one.—Alloa 1. Stirling Albion (i: Kiimarnock 1, Queen of the South 1; Dumbarton 1, Morton 1: Dundee 5. St Johnstone 3: East Fife 2, Hearts 0; Hamilton Academicals 4. Airdrieonians 0: Montrose 2. Arbroath 1.

Division two.-—-Albion Rovers 3. \ Meadowbank Thistle 2: Berwick, Rangers 0. Clyde 0: Cowdenbeath j 1. Stranraer 0: East Stirling 1,: Raith Rovers 2; Forfar Athletic! 2. Falkirk 0; Queens Park 0,1 Brechin Citv 2; Stenhousemuh [ 2, Dunfermline Athletic 0. I