NOTTINGHAM Forest suffered their first defeat of the season in the Championship, after producing their worst 45 minutes of football under Sean O'Driscoll.
The Reds found themselves 2-0 down after being completely outclassed in a one-sided first half that saw Luciano Becchio and Dominic Poleon give the home side a deserved lead.
Forest were much improved after the break after O'Driscoll made a double-change during the interval – and largely dominated the second half.
But, while Dexter Blackstock pulled back a goal in the 60th minute, the Reds could not make the breakthrough for a second time, despite piling on the pressure.
Substitute Lewis McGugan came closest to breaking Leeds' resolve, firing one free kick narrowly wide of the post and seeing another effort superbly saved by Paddy Kenny as Leeds held out for a narrow victory.
Forest made three changes to their side, with manager O'Driscoll also opting for a change in formation. This time it was an orthodox 4-4-2, with James Coppinger handed his full debut to play as one of two wingers, with Andy Reid operating on the left flank.
Along with Coppinger, Guy Moussi and Dexter Blackstock were also brought into the starting line-up. Sam Hutchinson missed out with a knee injury, while Lewis McGugan and Billy Sharp dropped to the bench.
Adlene Guedioura sat out the first of his three match ban. But Chris Cohen and Henri Lansbury were both included on a very attack-minded bench.
Simon Gillett had an early shot charged down as Forest prodded and probed at the Leeds defence early on.
But it was Simon Cox who enjoyed the first genuine opening of the game, after Coppinger had cut the ball back cleverly into the striker's path, as he made a late run into the box. But the experienced figure of Paddy Kenny was well placed to make a solid save, crucially holding on to Cox's driven shot as Blackstock waited to pounce on any spillage.
Leeds responded by coming close to breaking the deadlock from a corner, with Tom Lees powering a header narrowly the wrong side of the post.
It was Forest who were looking the more lively of the two sides however, with Cox's driving run forcing a corner at the other end and Reid delivering a ball to the far post where the ball ended up in the back of the net as Danny Collins and Lee Peltier challenged in the air – although referee Andy D'Urso spotted a foul.
But it was the home side who were to take the lead as El-Hadji Diouf managed to elude the attentions of Harding, before delivering a teasing ball from the right. Forest failed to properly clear the ball at the far post and it dropped perfectly for Becchio, who drove a powerful, rising shot high into the back of the net from ten yards.
Now it was Leeds who were in the ascendancy, as their confidence grew. And, in the 25th minute, United were to double their advantage following some less than impressive defending.
Ayala seemed to have a yard on Becchio as the duo chased a ball down the centre of defence, but the Forest man made a hash of his attempted clearance, allowing the striker to get in a shot that, although charged down, broke perfectly for the overlapping Poleon, who drove an emphatic finish beyond Camp at the near post.
Ayala almost made amends with a fine ball for Cox to chase at the other end, with Jason Peace forced into a clumsy challenge on the edge of the box, earning the defender a booking. But, after much fuss about lining up the free kick, Reid's curling effort was sent curling high over the target.
Coppinger fired a shot across goal and just wide as half time approached, but there was no question that O'Driscoll was going to have to find some inspiring words at the interval, following the worst 45 minutes of his tenure so far.
Leeds could have gone into the break with an even bigger advantage, with Forest looking vulnerable at the back, particularly from set pieces – with Sam Byram sending a decent headed opportunity over from a free kick - and lacking cohesion going forward.
Becchio wasted an even better opportunity after Harding had been beaten by Byram down the Leeds right, before squaring a simple ball for the striker in the centre, where he fired wildly over with only Camp to beat at the near post.
O'Driscoll was proactive, making two changes, with Lansbury and McGugan introduced in place of Moussi and Reid, with the Reds reverting back to their more familiar 4-1-3-2 formation.
Coppinger had a chance to pull one back within a minute of the restart, but could not connect properly with a shot on the right side of the box as he was put under heavy pressure by Adam Drury.
While McGugan let fly with a trademark long range shot that hit Pearce, taking the sting out of it and allowing Kenny to make a simple save.
Forest already looked to possess more attacking threat, with Blackstock winning a free-kick 30-yards out following a driving attack from the visitors – although McGugan's driven shot cannoned back off the defensive wall.
O'Driscoll's side have already built a reputation for flowing football this season. But, when they did claw a goal back, it was from a rather more direct route. Halford won a throw on the right and then flung a huge throw-in almost to the far post, where Blackstock headed beyond the advancing Kenny.
It gave Forest 30 minutes to conjure up an equaliser. But Leeds managed to waste three of those minutes by making two substitutions, which the wily Neil Warnock ensured took an age to complete.
Still it was the visitors who had the momentum, with Coppinger seeing a shot cleared off the line by Kenny, as the Leeds goal was put under a barrage of pressure.
Camp had to demonstrate his agility to get across goal and pounce on a firm header from Rodolph Austin.
But Cox conjured up a shooting chance for Blackstock, who saw his effort blocked and, ten seconds later, McGugan bent a shot towards the far post that Kenny saved superbly, pushing the ball around the post at full stretch.
McGugan then came within a whisker of an equaliser with a spectacular free kick that Kenny could only watch as it fizzed beyond his right hand upright, as Forest continued to control the game.
Lees was then booked for bringing down McGugan after he executed an outstanding turn, giving the Forest man to drive another shot into the box. And, when he did, the Forest players were all appealing angrily for a handball.
While Halford had a close range effort blocked, amid a melee of players, as Leeds desperately hung on.
Given that the home side had started wasting time 15 minutes into the second half, it was no shock when the fourth official indicated that at least six minutes of injury time would be played.
But Leeds managed to hold out until the final whistle to condemn Forest to their first league defeat of the campaign.
Leeds: Kenny, Peltier (Varney 68), Drury, Lees, Pearce, Austin, Becchio (Gray 90), Tonge, Diouf, Byram, Poleon (White 66). Subs: Ashdown, Kisnorbo, Brown, Payne.
Forest: Camp, Halford, Ayala, Collins, Harding, Coppinger (Sharp 83), Moussi (McGugan 45), Gillett, Reid (Lansbury 45), Cox, Blackstock. Subs: Evtimov, Cohen, Moloney, Majewski.
Referee: Andy D'Urso.