Leicester allow Forest "free goal" in Cup replay
Forest manager Colin Calderwood accepted the Foxes' offer
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Tuesday, 18, Sep 2007 11:40
Leicester City allowed opponents Nottingham Forest to score direct from the kick-off in tonight's Carling Cup replay to replicate the scoreline from when the first attempt to play the game was abandoned.
The two sides' first meeting in the second round was abandoned after the Foxes' defender Clive Clarke suffered heart failure at half-time.
Forest goalkeeper Paul Smith was allowed to dribble the ball through the away side's half and roll it into an unguarded net as a sporting gesture from their Midlands rivals.
"This will not hurt football, I'm proud of the players and happy we did it," said Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric.
"The idea came from the whole club - we all like to win games but morality and fairness is also important. It was a difficult situation, but it was the right thing to do."
Leicester ultimately managed to overhaul their self-inflicted setback as they clawed their way back to win 3-2.
Alan Sheehan's first-half free-kick leveled the match, before a strike from Nathan Tyson restored the lead and appeared to secure Forest's progress.
But two goals in the final three minutes from Richard Stearman and Stephen Clemence swung the match back Leicester's way.