Anton Stach snatches late Leeds winner to sour Glasner’s new dawn at Forest

For Nottingham Forest, a few minutes before kick-off and before the curtain went up on another season, a new protagonist emerged from the tunnel. Oliver Glasner, Forest’s fifth head coach in less than 12 months, surveyed the scene from the home technical area. But the start of the new dawn, this Glasner’s first competitive game in the job, did not go to plan, Anton Stach sneaking a whipped free-kick in at Matz Sels’s near post with a couple of minutes of normal time remaining. At least Forest can put things right quickly, Leeds visiting in a Carabao Cup rematch on Tuesday.

Clearcut chances had been at a premium and Stach took matters into his own hands late on, after Nikola Milenkovic made a clumsy challenge on him on the edge of the penalty area. Sels got a glove on Stach’s effort but ended up wrapped around his right post, the Leeds support erupting with joy behind his goal.

Leeds were the more threatening side. In the first half, Harry Wilson had what would have been a debut goal disallowed when the assistant referee raised his flag for offside after the Welshman, whose arrival is evidence of Leeds’s ambition, latched on to Jayden Bogle’s pass into the box. In the second, Sels got a strong left hand to prevent another debutant, Tarik Muharemovic, a £34m buy from Sassuolo, from powering a header into the top corner.

Glasner, who named neither Ousmane Diomande, a £34m arrival from Sporting, nor Xaver Schlager in his starting lineup, puffed his cheeks as every outfield Leeds player joined the celebrations. At full time, the away end, bathed in the evening sun, was jubilant, the Forest areas had long since emptied.

Anton Stach jumps for joy after his late winner for Leeds. Photograph: Bruce Rollinson/PA

Leeds rationed Forest to moments in an underwhelming opener. Muharemovic had a fine debut alongside Joe Rodon and Jaka Bijol in their three-man defence. Glasner applauded when Neco Williams met Ola Aina’s cross from the right approaching the first-half interval. That chance led to Milenkovic and Jair Cunha combining to head against James Trafford’s post from James McAtee’s recycled cross but the Leeds goalkeeper was largely untroubled.

These remain early days – Nuno Espírito Santo was in charge as Forest beat Brentford 3-1 in their opening game last season, with eight of the same starting XI – but Glasner’s side did little to enthuse the locals. More new faces are expected before the window closes next month. Chris Wood arrived from the bench and sent a bobbling Morgan Gibbs-White pass wide with a first-time shot. Schlager also entered for his debut but it was Leeds and Daniel Farke who were buoyed at the final whistle.