BAPTISM ON FIRE

Pereira enjoys a sweet debut but says Turkish delight's down to Forest players

- SARAH CLAPSON

VITOR PEREIRA declined to take any of the credit as Nottingham Forest made a perfect start to his tenure by toppling Fenerbahce in the first leg of their Europa League play-off.

The Reds put themselves in the driving seat to qualify for the last 16 with a comfortable win in Turkey.

Courtesy of goals from Murillo, Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White, they will take a healthy advantage back to the City Ground for next week's second leg.

Pereira had only had a few days to work with the players prior to their trip to Istanbul.

He became the club's fourth head coach of the season when he replaced Sean Dyche at the helm on Sunday.

"Very happy for my players and for the supporters," Pereira (right) said. "It was a win by the players and by the supporters, not by the manager.