Leeds 2 Everton 1
BBC 25/9/12
By Ben Smith BBC Sport
Leeds produced a rousing display to dump Everton out of the Capital One Cup on a breathless night at Elland Road.
Rodolph Austin delivered the knockout blow from close range 20 minutes from time, after Aidan White had given Leeds a dream start after four minutes.
Sylvain Distin pulled a goal back with a towering header nine minutes from time and Nikica Jelavic went close as Everton finally found their rhythm.
But Leeds stood firm to spark wild celebrations at the final whistle.
Everton manager David Moyes wore a look of disbelief at the final whistle, having made six changes from the side that beat Swansea so convincingly on Saturday.
And while the Scot may have questioned the commitment of his players, he could not dispute the result on a night when Leeds tackled, battled, denied space and dominated territory to reach the fourth round of the competition for only the second time in the past decade.
Tactically smart, Leeds' work-rate was also admirable, their players often doubling up on Everton's main threats like Marouane Fellaini, while Victor Anichibe found he had unwelcome, unstinting company throughout. El Hadji Diouf was tremendous throughout, frustrating and counfounding Everton's defence with a selfless display. This was a rare whiff of the big-time for a club whose staple diet became top-flight football for so long - the glamour was in short supply, however. Thousands of empty seats and the driving Yorkshire rain saw to that.
But few were moaning about the weather when White erupted on to a loose ball after four minutes, surged beyond Fellaini and between the Everton centre backs before placing the ball beyond goalkeeper Jan Mucha and into the corner with a clinical left-foot shot.
White was on the end of another clever Leeds attack seven minutes before the interval, gathering the ball on the edge of the penalty area after a delighftul exchange of passes between Becchio and Diouf, but his shot was too close to Mucha. Leeds could and should have extended their lead in the dying moments of the first half but Becchio's close-range header was parried by the unwitting Mucha and Steven Naismith clear the ball off the line.
Everton had to improve after the interval and they did. Steven Pienaar fired over from the edge of the penalty area as Everton began to tick. Anichebe picked out Naismith with a pinpoint cross from the left, only for the Scotland international to head woefully wide from six yards.
Yet still Leeds remained a danger. Diouf was a constant menace for Everton and his free-kick picked out Danny Pugh on the edge of the area and his uncertain goal-bound shot bobbled through a crowd of players before Austin steered it inside the post to send Elland Road into raptures.
Everton finally rose up to find hope and with it purpose to make a game of it. Pienaar's free-kick wide on the left was headed on by Anichebe and Distin rose up and headed forcefully beyond Leeds goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown.
Jelavic tested Ashdown with a header from six yards moments later, while a late penalty shout was waved away when Fellaini's struck Jason Pearce's shoulder. But Leeds weathered the cold, the rain and Everton's storm to cling on.
Leeds win over Everton my greatest cup result - Warnock
Leeds boss Neil Warnock described his side's dramatic Capital One Cup win over Everton as his greatest victory in cup competition.
Rodolph Austin's 70th-minute strike ensured the Championship side ran out 2-1 winners in the third round against their Premier League opponents.
When asked where this victory ranked in his career achievements, Warnock said: "That is probably the top cup night.
"This was a top Everton side. To play like we did was tremendous."
Aidan White had given Leeds the lead after only four minutes before Austin put Leeds on course for a famous victory by scrambling in with 20 minutes remaining.
Everton, who started with no Englishmen for the first time in their history, were disjointed for long periods, but Sylvain Distin pulled one back nine minutes from time to set up a dramatic finish.
"We scored two and could have had a few more. I thought we were excellent," Warnock added.
"They [Everton] wanted to win it - make no mistake - but I think we deserved it on the night. I thought we were a little bit sharper, we won the second balls and I think we should have scored one or two other goals, so we're disappointed that we didn't, but we never do anything easy."
El Hadji Diouf was outstanding throughout for Leeds and Warnock could not speak highly enough of the former Liverpool and Bolton forward.
"He has been a revelation," Warnock said. "He is fit and getting fitter every game. "Obviously I said things about him when I didn't really know him but since he has been with us he has been a revelation. He has been good with the young lads, good in the dressing room. He has helped everybody. He makes me laugh and I make him laugh. It is a happy relationship at the moment."
Everton manager David Moyes could not hide his disappointment.
"We never really got started," he said. "We gave away a terrible goal in the opening minutes which gave Leeds a lot of momentum and a lot of belief."
Moyes refused to accept that his decision to rest six players from the 3-0 victory over Swansea on Saturday had backfired.
"When you have a squad of players you have to give them game time and play them," he added. "If you don't there is no point in calling them a squad, they are just first-team players and reserve-team players.
"We have given a few a go and maybe they didn't show up like we would have wanted them to. But it was right that we gave it a go. The result was wrong, but you couldn't have said those players weren't good enough to go out and get a result."
By Ben Smith BBC Sport
Leeds produced a rousing display to dump Everton out of the Capital One Cup on a breathless night at Elland Road.
Rodolph Austin delivered the knockout blow from close range 20 minutes from time, after Aidan White had given Leeds a dream start after four minutes.
Sylvain Distin pulled a goal back with a towering header nine minutes from time and Nikica Jelavic went close as Everton finally found their rhythm.
But Leeds stood firm to spark wild celebrations at the final whistle.
Everton manager David Moyes wore a look of disbelief at the final whistle, having made six changes from the side that beat Swansea so convincingly on Saturday.
And while the Scot may have questioned the commitment of his players, he could not dispute the result on a night when Leeds tackled, battled, denied space and dominated territory to reach the fourth round of the competition for only the second time in the past decade.
Tactically smart, Leeds' work-rate was also admirable, their players often doubling up on Everton's main threats like Marouane Fellaini, while Victor Anichibe found he had unwelcome, unstinting company throughout. El Hadji Diouf was tremendous throughout, frustrating and counfounding Everton's defence with a selfless display. This was a rare whiff of the big-time for a club whose staple diet became top-flight football for so long - the glamour was in short supply, however. Thousands of empty seats and the driving Yorkshire rain saw to that.
But few were moaning about the weather when White erupted on to a loose ball after four minutes, surged beyond Fellaini and between the Everton centre backs before placing the ball beyond goalkeeper Jan Mucha and into the corner with a clinical left-foot shot.
White was on the end of another clever Leeds attack seven minutes before the interval, gathering the ball on the edge of the penalty area after a delighftul exchange of passes between Becchio and Diouf, but his shot was too close to Mucha. Leeds could and should have extended their lead in the dying moments of the first half but Becchio's close-range header was parried by the unwitting Mucha and Steven Naismith clear the ball off the line.
Everton had to improve after the interval and they did. Steven Pienaar fired over from the edge of the penalty area as Everton began to tick. Anichebe picked out Naismith with a pinpoint cross from the left, only for the Scotland international to head woefully wide from six yards.
Yet still Leeds remained a danger. Diouf was a constant menace for Everton and his free-kick picked out Danny Pugh on the edge of the area and his uncertain goal-bound shot bobbled through a crowd of players before Austin steered it inside the post to send Elland Road into raptures.
Everton finally rose up to find hope and with it purpose to make a game of it. Pienaar's free-kick wide on the left was headed on by Anichebe and Distin rose up and headed forcefully beyond Leeds goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown.
Jelavic tested Ashdown with a header from six yards moments later, while a late penalty shout was waved away when Fellaini's struck Jason Pearce's shoulder. But Leeds weathered the cold, the rain and Everton's storm to cling on.
Leeds win over Everton my greatest cup result - Warnock
Leeds boss Neil Warnock described his side's dramatic Capital One Cup win over Everton as his greatest victory in cup competition.
Rodolph Austin's 70th-minute strike ensured the Championship side ran out 2-1 winners in the third round against their Premier League opponents.
When asked where this victory ranked in his career achievements, Warnock said: "That is probably the top cup night.
"This was a top Everton side. To play like we did was tremendous."
Aidan White had given Leeds the lead after only four minutes before Austin put Leeds on course for a famous victory by scrambling in with 20 minutes remaining.
Everton, who started with no Englishmen for the first time in their history, were disjointed for long periods, but Sylvain Distin pulled one back nine minutes from time to set up a dramatic finish.
"We scored two and could have had a few more. I thought we were excellent," Warnock added.
"They [Everton] wanted to win it - make no mistake - but I think we deserved it on the night. I thought we were a little bit sharper, we won the second balls and I think we should have scored one or two other goals, so we're disappointed that we didn't, but we never do anything easy."
El Hadji Diouf was outstanding throughout for Leeds and Warnock could not speak highly enough of the former Liverpool and Bolton forward.
"He has been a revelation," Warnock said. "He is fit and getting fitter every game. "Obviously I said things about him when I didn't really know him but since he has been with us he has been a revelation. He has been good with the young lads, good in the dressing room. He has helped everybody. He makes me laugh and I make him laugh. It is a happy relationship at the moment."
Everton manager David Moyes could not hide his disappointment.
"We never really got started," he said. "We gave away a terrible goal in the opening minutes which gave Leeds a lot of momentum and a lot of belief."
Moyes refused to accept that his decision to rest six players from the 3-0 victory over Swansea on Saturday had backfired.
"When you have a squad of players you have to give them game time and play them," he added. "If you don't there is no point in calling them a squad, they are just first-team players and reserve-team players.
"We have given a few a go and maybe they didn't show up like we would have wanted them to. But it was right that we gave it a go. The result was wrong, but you couldn't have said those players weren't good enough to go out and get a result."
