Four In A Row: United 2 Leicester 1
leedsunited.com
An enthralling game saw Leeds stretch their winning run to four games thanks to goals from David Healy and Matthew Kilgallon, whilst the Foxes were awarded a dubious penalty.United though are definitely on a roll.
Pre-Match
United manager Kevin Blackwell was left with a bit of a midfield crisis for this game following a hamstring injury to Shaun Derry in last week's win at Millwall. The same game saw two of his
likely replacements, Sean Gregan and Jonathan Douglas, pick up their fifth bookings of the season - ruling them out of this game through suspension.
That left Simon Walton as the only fit player with any tangible central midfield experience and it was no surprise to see him named in the starting XI, making his first appearance of the season.
That, and the return of skipper Paul Butler after suspension, were the only changes for Leeds, not that Blackwell had much scope to make changes anyway with just 17 senior players available to him, and it meant it was more or less the same group of players that had led the club to three wins on the bounce.
The Match
This game enjoyed a good entertaining start from two sides that once graced the Premiership and enjoyed many highscoring encounters. The last 0-0 draw in the league between them was some 28 years ago.
It was end to end for the first quarter of an hour, and either side could have had a couple of goals.
The opening minute saw Eddie Lewis's free-kick delivered perfectly into the middle of the penalty area but returning skipper Paul Butler couldn't keep his header down and put it over the top.
Four minutes later and Hulse should have created an opening for Leeds when he had Blake and Healy in support, but a bad touch saw him take the ball a yard too far and he lost it in the tackle when one of the two White shirts on either side of him were well placed for the shot.
That was the signal for Leicester to get going and a 35-yard shot from Ryan Smith was only just turned over by the fingertips of Neil Sullivan in the United goal.
Joey Gudjohnssen then went close with another drive from distance but Sullivan got hold of the shot with two firm hands.
Leeds should have had the lead after 11 minutes when good work between Simon Walton, in for his first game of the season, and Robbie Blake set up Eddie Lewis for a great chance.
After Blake collected the pass from Walton he Lewis in space to the left of him and the US international had a clear sight of goal. He looked certain to score when he took aim from the edge of the area but his shot clipped the top of the crossbar.
It was the second consecutive game Lewis has been denied by the woodwork.
The comedy moment of the match soon followed after Dan Harding's foul on Momo Sylla gave Leicester a free-kick in a good position just five yards short of the penalty box.
But the Foxes completely messed up the free-kick when Gudjohnssen touched the ball before he had meant to. Rob Hulse spotted the mistake and simply stole the ball from him as the visitors stood and watched and the pressure was relieved. The jeers from the Leeds fans did little to relieve Leicester's embarrassment.
United then had the ball in the back of the net on 16 minutes, only to see it disallowed.
Lewis's corner had been headed clear but Walton knocked the ball back into the area where Hulse met the ball with a glancing header into the back of the net, but as he turned to celebrate the cheers turned to groans as the linesman raised his flag for offside.
The Whites were playing some good attacking football, typified when Healy played a great return ball for Kelly to break down the right and his cross back into the penalty area deserved a goal but Hulse wasn't quite able to connect with the perfect header.
There was a scare though when Butler headed a corner onto his own crossbar and then Ian Hume's return header was turned over by Sullivan. The skipper had nearly made a scoring return to action - at the wrong end though.
Leeds appealed strongly for a penalty with eight minutes of the half remaining when Robbie Blake's flick into the penalty area appeared to be handled by Patrick McCarthy as he tried to find Rob Hulse. Referee Mike Dean though turned a deaf ear to the appeals.
Miller then went close with a drive that just passed the right hand post. Leeds were getting closer and closer every minute.
And as this reporter finished that last prophetic sentence, the Whites duly obliged with a goal from a well worked free-kick.
Blake was bundled over on the edge of the penalty area and the three key men at free-kicks, Lewis, Blake and now Miller, stood over the ball and were apparently still working out who would take it. Whilst Leicester appeared distracted, the ball was simply rolled square to David Healy and he smashed the ball home like only he can.
The Northern Ireland international has now scored in each of the last four games,if you count his deflected winner against Millwall, and there was certainly no taking this one away from him.
No changes at half-time for either side, Leeds were the first to put the pressure on.
They could have been 2-0 up when Kelly's corner four minutes into the half was met well by Hulse but the striker, whose barren run passed eight games last weekend, saw his header crash onto the crossbar. It was desperately unlucky for the centre-forward, whose workrate during the game was phenonemal.
Leeds were trying hard for the second goal to kill Leicester off, but United found themselves pegged back by a contentious penalty on 68 minutes.
Joey Gudjohnsson had the ball with his back to goal on the right hand edge of the area and Hulse, back defending, put in a sliding challenge. The slide began inside the box but the contact appeared to be made outside the area, not that the referee saw it that way and pointed to the penalty spot.
Hulse had not really needed to make the challenge, and Gudjohnsson dusted himself off to send Sullivan the wrong way and level the scores.
Leeds were only level for five minutes before their pressure told and they were back in front.
Blake's mazy run on the edge of the area finished with a shot that deflected off Matthew Kilgallon's thigh and flew into the goal.
Foxes centre-half Patrick McCarthy was sent off in the aftermath as United celebrated a deserved goal.
Simon Walton's afternoon came to an end with seven minutes remaining when he was replaced by Frazer Richardson, and the youngster had done his chances no harm with a good display.
Leeds looked the most likely to score again but they just couldn't finish off a number of good moves, whilst defensively they were coping well with the physical threat from Leicester upfront, the Foxes having thrown both Mark De Vries and Dion Dublin on for the last five minutes.
Ian Moore came on right at the end for David Healy, and the Northern Ireland international was give a standing ovation as he left the field. Danny Pugh also came on for Robbie Blake, and he too got a good send off.Four minutes of extra time - four agonising minutes - were played in which the visitors won a number of free-kicks but Leeds hung on for three great points and four wins in a row. The last time Leeds last won four in a row was during a six match unbeaten run in 2001.
leedsunited.com
An enthralling game saw Leeds stretch their winning run to four games thanks to goals from David Healy and Matthew Kilgallon, whilst the Foxes were awarded a dubious penalty.United though are definitely on a roll.
Pre-Match
United manager Kevin Blackwell was left with a bit of a midfield crisis for this game following a hamstring injury to Shaun Derry in last week's win at Millwall. The same game saw two of his
likely replacements, Sean Gregan and Jonathan Douglas, pick up their fifth bookings of the season - ruling them out of this game through suspension.That left Simon Walton as the only fit player with any tangible central midfield experience and it was no surprise to see him named in the starting XI, making his first appearance of the season.
That, and the return of skipper Paul Butler after suspension, were the only changes for Leeds, not that Blackwell had much scope to make changes anyway with just 17 senior players available to him, and it meant it was more or less the same group of players that had led the club to three wins on the bounce.
The Match
This game enjoyed a good entertaining start from two sides that once graced the Premiership and enjoyed many highscoring encounters. The last 0-0 draw in the league between them was some 28 years ago.
It was end to end for the first quarter of an hour, and either side could have had a couple of goals.
The opening minute saw Eddie Lewis's free-kick delivered perfectly into the middle of the penalty area but returning skipper Paul Butler couldn't keep his header down and put it over the top.
Four minutes later and Hulse should have created an opening for Leeds when he had Blake and Healy in support, but a bad touch saw him take the ball a yard too far and he lost it in the tackle when one of the two White shirts on either side of him were well placed for the shot.
That was the signal for Leicester to get going and a 35-yard shot from Ryan Smith was only just turned over by the fingertips of Neil Sullivan in the United goal.
Joey Gudjohnssen then went close with another drive from distance but Sullivan got hold of the shot with two firm hands.
Leeds should have had the lead after 11 minutes when good work between Simon Walton, in for his first game of the season, and Robbie Blake set up Eddie Lewis for a great chance.
After Blake collected the pass from Walton he Lewis in space to the left of him and the US international had a clear sight of goal. He looked certain to score when he took aim from the edge of the area but his shot clipped the top of the crossbar.
It was the second consecutive game Lewis has been denied by the woodwork.
The comedy moment of the match soon followed after Dan Harding's foul on Momo Sylla gave Leicester a free-kick in a good position just five yards short of the penalty box.
But the Foxes completely messed up the free-kick when Gudjohnssen touched the ball before he had meant to. Rob Hulse spotted the mistake and simply stole the ball from him as the visitors stood and watched and the pressure was relieved. The jeers from the Leeds fans did little to relieve Leicester's embarrassment.
United then had the ball in the back of the net on 16 minutes, only to see it disallowed.
Lewis's corner had been headed clear but Walton knocked the ball back into the area where Hulse met the ball with a glancing header into the back of the net, but as he turned to celebrate the cheers turned to groans as the linesman raised his flag for offside.
The Whites were playing some good attacking football, typified when Healy played a great return ball for Kelly to break down the right and his cross back into the penalty area deserved a goal but Hulse wasn't quite able to connect with the perfect header.
There was a scare though when Butler headed a corner onto his own crossbar and then Ian Hume's return header was turned over by Sullivan. The skipper had nearly made a scoring return to action - at the wrong end though.
Leeds appealed strongly for a penalty with eight minutes of the half remaining when Robbie Blake's flick into the penalty area appeared to be handled by Patrick McCarthy as he tried to find Rob Hulse. Referee Mike Dean though turned a deaf ear to the appeals.
Miller then went close with a drive that just passed the right hand post. Leeds were getting closer and closer every minute.
And as this reporter finished that last prophetic sentence, the Whites duly obliged with a goal from a well worked free-kick.
Blake was bundled over on the edge of the penalty area and the three key men at free-kicks, Lewis, Blake and now Miller, stood over the ball and were apparently still working out who would take it. Whilst Leicester appeared distracted, the ball was simply rolled square to David Healy and he smashed the ball home like only he can.
The Northern Ireland international has now scored in each of the last four games,if you count his deflected winner against Millwall, and there was certainly no taking this one away from him.
No changes at half-time for either side, Leeds were the first to put the pressure on.
They could have been 2-0 up when Kelly's corner four minutes into the half was met well by Hulse but the striker, whose barren run passed eight games last weekend, saw his header crash onto the crossbar. It was desperately unlucky for the centre-forward, whose workrate during the game was phenonemal.
Leeds were trying hard for the second goal to kill Leicester off, but United found themselves pegged back by a contentious penalty on 68 minutes.
Joey Gudjohnsson had the ball with his back to goal on the right hand edge of the area and Hulse, back defending, put in a sliding challenge. The slide began inside the box but the contact appeared to be made outside the area, not that the referee saw it that way and pointed to the penalty spot.
Hulse had not really needed to make the challenge, and Gudjohnsson dusted himself off to send Sullivan the wrong way and level the scores.
Leeds were only level for five minutes before their pressure told and they were back in front.
Blake's mazy run on the edge of the area finished with a shot that deflected off Matthew Kilgallon's thigh and flew into the goal.
Foxes centre-half Patrick McCarthy was sent off in the aftermath as United celebrated a deserved goal.
Simon Walton's afternoon came to an end with seven minutes remaining when he was replaced by Frazer Richardson, and the youngster had done his chances no harm with a good display.
Leeds looked the most likely to score again but they just couldn't finish off a number of good moves, whilst defensively they were coping well with the physical threat from Leicester upfront, the Foxes having thrown both Mark De Vries and Dion Dublin on for the last five minutes.
Ian Moore came on right at the end for David Healy, and the Northern Ireland international was give a standing ovation as he left the field. Danny Pugh also came on for Robbie Blake, and he too got a good send off.Four minutes of extra time - four agonising minutes - were played in which the visitors won a number of free-kicks but Leeds hung on for three great points and four wins in a row. The last time Leeds last won four in a row was during a six match unbeaten run in 2001.
