Leeds United v Cardiff City: New signing Warnock jumps to Byram’s defence

Yorkshire Evening Post 4/2/13
By Phil Hay
New Leeds United signing Stephen Warnock leapt to the defence of Sam Byram after the youngster’s costly error condemned the club to a 1-0 defeat to Cardiff City.
Warnock, who watched Saturday’s game from the bench 48 hours after joining United from Aston Villa, urged Byram not to dwell on the misplaced clearance that invited Cardiff’s second-half winner at Elland Road.
Leeds were punished by a tap-in from Fraizer Campbell after Byram hacked a cross by Matthew Connolly into the path of Craig Bellamy 18 yards from goal. Campbell’s strike was enough to earn Cardiff a narrow victory and end Leeds’s run of six straight league wins at home.
The result came against the run of play, with United passing up two glaring opportunities either side of Campbell’s finish, but Leeds remain six points behind the Championship’s play-offs zone with two critical away fixtures at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Middlesbrough awaiting them in the next eight days.
Byram, 19, was making his 36th senior appearance in a season when he was originally expected to play with United’s Under-21 squad, and Warnock, who played against him while on loan at Bolton Wanderers earlier in the term, blamed the full-back’s error on an inevitable flush of inexperience.
“It’s very unfortunate because I played against Sam when I was at Bolton and I was massively impressed by him,” Warnock said. “I thought he was a hell of a player.
“He’ll learn from his mistake and I hope people understand that he’s only young. He’s been great this season.
“The team’s performance was impressive and the result’s quite hard to take. Bitter to take. Cardiff are renowned for being tough to play against and nicking wins but the lads matched them. Sometimes it’s down to that little difference of bringing a Fraizer Campbell off the bench.”
Aidan White was preferred to Warnock at left-back on Saturday as manager Neil Warnock opted to name his new signing on the bench after a solitary training session with United’s squad.
Striker Steve Morison – also brought into Elland Road on Thursday as part of a swap deal involving Luciano Becchio – was missing with a thigh strain while African forward Habib Habibou made his debut as a substitute late in the game.
Stephen Warnock said: “The manager spoke to me when I signed and said he probably wouldn’t play me at the weekend. He told me to get used to the club and get used to being around the other players.
“The lads were great and Cardiff’s keeper made a couple of good saves. At the other end of the pitch Paddy (Kenny) hasn’t had to make a save. He’s picked the ball out of the net and that’s about it.
“I really don’t think you can count us out of the play-offs. Put a run together, two or three wins, and you’re right back in it.”
Huddersfield-born Campbell struck the winning goal two minutes after coming off the bench, marking his first appearance for Cardiff in style after a £650,000 move from Sunderland last month.
The league leaders created few chances but struck in a brief spell of pressure, extending an unbeaten run against Leeds that stretches back 15 matches to 1984.
Campbell said: “It was a great debut for me and I couldn’t think of a better start.
“Elland Road’s not an easy place to come and we knew they’d be up for it. They’d just come off the back of a great win against Tottenham.
“But the lads were brilliant from front to back and I’ve upset some of my family members. Half of them are Leeds fans.”

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