Forest shares soccer lead

Press, 27 August 1979, Page 19

Forest shares soccer lead

The European Cup holder, Nottingham Forest, served notice on Saturday, with its third win in three league matches, it intends to improve on its runners-up placing to Liverpool in the new English championship race. In spite of the absence of the SIM striker, Trevor Francis, who returned from his season in North America with a groin injury, Forest beat Coventry, 4-1. The under-rated Forest captain, John McGovern, scored in each half. Tony Woodcock had opened the scoring and John Robertson closed it. Coventry took heart from Tom English, aged 17, who scored its goal — his second in his two matches. Norwich, the other first division team to have full points from three matches, depended on Kevin Bond, son of its manager, Mr John Bond, for both goals in its 2-1 win over Leeds. Middlesborough, which began the day with a 106 per cent record, fought back to equalise against the newly-promoted visitors, London’s , Crystal Palace, but failed to get a winning goal. Liverpool, the champion, which started its league season late, scored its first goals of the season. Terry McDermott sandwiched one between two for the striker, David Johnson, leaving West. Bromwich 1-3 losers. Results:— ENGLISH LEAGUE Division one: Arsenal 0. Manchester United 0; Aston Villa 0, Bristol City 2; Bolton 2, Southampton 1: Derby 0, Everton 1; Liverpool 3, West Bromwich Albion 1; Manchester City 3, Brighton and Hove 2; Middlesbrough 1, Crystal Palace 1; Norwich 2, Leeds 1; Nottingham Forest 4, Coventry 1; Stoke 3,

Tottenham Hotspur 1; Wolverhampton 3, Ipswich 0.

Division two: Bristol Rovers 2, Shrewsbury 1; Burnley 0, Notts County 1; Cambridge 2, Watford 2; Cardiff 1, Birmingham 2; Charlton Athletic 1, Newcastle 1; Chelsea 3, Wrexham 1; Luton 2, Orient 1; Preston North End 1, Swansea 1; Queens Park Rangers 1, Leicester 4; Sunderland 2, Fulham 1; West Ham 1, Oldham 0. Division three: Barnsley 2, Reading 0; Carlisle 1, Bury 0; Chester 1, Sheffield United 1; Chesterfield 3, Plymouth 1; Exeter 2, Mansfield 1; Gillingham 1, Millwall 1; Grimsby 4, Blackpool 3; HuU City 2, Oxford 2; Rotherham 3, Colchester 0; Sheffield Wednesday 0, Blackburn 3; Swindon 4. Brentford 0; Wimbledon 0, Southend 1. Division four: Aidershot 3, Port Vale 1; Bournemouth 3, Newport 2; Bradford 2, Tranmere 0; Hereford 1, Darlington 0; Huddersfield 3, Doncaster 0; Northampton 1, Walsall 2; Peterborough 2, Halifax 1; Portsmouth 6, Scunthorpe 1; Stockport 1, Wigan 2; York 0, Lincoln 2. SCOTTISH LEAGUE Premier division: Celtic 5, Kilmarnock 0; Dundee United 1, Aberdeen 3: Hibernian 5, Dundee 2; Partick Thistle 2, Rangers 1: St Mirren 0, Morton 3. Division one: Arbroath 2, St Johnstone 2; Ayr United 0, Clyde 0; Berwick Rangers 1, Hearts 3; Clydebank 2, Dumbarton 1: Hamilton Academicals 4, Airdrieonians 3; Haith 0, Dunfermline 0; Stirling Albion 2. Motherwell 0. Division two: Alloa 0, Montrose 1; Cowdenbeath 2, East Stirling 2; Falkirk 3, Stranraer 0; Forfar 6, Albion 2; Meadowbank 2, East Fife 0 (played Friday); Queen of the South 2, Stenhousemuir 1; Queens Park 1, Brechin 3.