Telegraph 24/4/10
Leeds United 4 MK Dons 1: match report
By Will Swanson at Elland Road
Leeds United are counting down the games. The vagaries of the end-of-season encounters have seen them miraculously emerge from their desperate turn-of-the-year run occupying the second automatic promotion spot and with their fate in their own hands.
With out-of-favour marksman Jermaine Beckford again only making the bench, Simon Grayson once more put his faith in the twin strike-force of Luciano Becchio and Max Gradel.
They didn’t disappoint. Both found the net in a comfortable win against an injury-ravaged MK Dons reduced to eight men by the final whistle. It was a victory that saw Grayson’s men take another confident step towards the Championship.
In an Elland Road bathed in warm afternoon sunshine, Leeds started brightly and were ahead with quarter of an hour.
Defender Mathias Dombe was dispossessed in midfield allowing on-loan Arsenal winger Sanchez Watt to power down the left.
He slipped the ball on to Luciano Becchio who calmly slotted his 17th goal of the season past the onrushing Willy Gueret.
The early breakthrough settled the nerves, the Leeds faithful were in full cry.
That was, however, until the 20th minute when, from a long free kick from Peter Leven, Dons captain Dean Lewington crept out of a packed six-yard box to poke home from three yards to double his season’s tally and silence Elland Road.
Leeds restored their lead thirteen minutes later when, after the Dons failed to clear, the ball fell invitingly into Max Gradel’s path and he gratefully slammed home his sixth of the season low past Gueret.
A minute before the break and an already difficult task was made harder for the visitors when Doumbe was shown a straight red card by referee Michael Oliver for an agricultural challenge on the fleet-footed Watt.
In the 63rd minute excellent interplay between Gradel and Watt almost fashioned another chance, but Gueret was equal to the latter’s low shot.
In the 75th minute Grayson sought to finish the contest, adding Beckford’s pace to the attack. Five minutes later he wrapped the points up flicking athletically home from a delicious Becchio cross.
With four minutes to go the sought-after striker doubled his tally from the penalty spot after being hauled down by David McCracken who was subsequently dismissed.
Darren Powell followed him down the tunnel in the final minute after a fracas in the centre circle to complete a miserable day for the Dons.
Leeds United 4 MK Dons 1: match report
By Will Swanson at Elland Road
Leeds United are counting down the games. The vagaries of the end-of-season encounters have seen them miraculously emerge from their desperate turn-of-the-year run occupying the second automatic promotion spot and with their fate in their own hands.
With out-of-favour marksman Jermaine Beckford again only making the bench, Simon Grayson once more put his faith in the twin strike-force of Luciano Becchio and Max Gradel.
They didn’t disappoint. Both found the net in a comfortable win against an injury-ravaged MK Dons reduced to eight men by the final whistle. It was a victory that saw Grayson’s men take another confident step towards the Championship.
In an Elland Road bathed in warm afternoon sunshine, Leeds started brightly and were ahead with quarter of an hour.
Defender Mathias Dombe was dispossessed in midfield allowing on-loan Arsenal winger Sanchez Watt to power down the left.
He slipped the ball on to Luciano Becchio who calmly slotted his 17th goal of the season past the onrushing Willy Gueret.
The early breakthrough settled the nerves, the Leeds faithful were in full cry.
That was, however, until the 20th minute when, from a long free kick from Peter Leven, Dons captain Dean Lewington crept out of a packed six-yard box to poke home from three yards to double his season’s tally and silence Elland Road.
Leeds restored their lead thirteen minutes later when, after the Dons failed to clear, the ball fell invitingly into Max Gradel’s path and he gratefully slammed home his sixth of the season low past Gueret.
A minute before the break and an already difficult task was made harder for the visitors when Doumbe was shown a straight red card by referee Michael Oliver for an agricultural challenge on the fleet-footed Watt.
In the 63rd minute excellent interplay between Gradel and Watt almost fashioned another chance, but Gueret was equal to the latter’s low shot.
In the 75th minute Grayson sought to finish the contest, adding Beckford’s pace to the attack. Five minutes later he wrapped the points up flicking athletically home from a delicious Becchio cross.
With four minutes to go the sought-after striker doubled his tally from the penalty spot after being hauled down by David McCracken who was subsequently dismissed.
Darren Powell followed him down the tunnel in the final minute after a fracas in the centre circle to complete a miserable day for the Dons.
