Times Online - Sport
Smith has the final word to break Leicester's resistance
BY DAVID MCVAY
Leeds United 3 Leicester City 2
COPING in adversity, on and off the field of play, is scarcely a new phenomenon to these clubs but on the evidence at Elland Road last night, it is Leeds United who are in marginally the better shape to preserve their top-flight status in the Barclaycard Premiership.
First-half goals by Michael Duberry and Mark Viduka should have given the home side an unassailable lead, but during a thrilling finale, Paul Dickov and Muzzy Izzet revived Leicester City’s own prospects of escaping relegation.
Incredibly, there was a final twist when Alan Smith, the local hero, scored the winner with only four minutes remaining. However, only time will tell how the dismissal of Viduka, for a silly second caution of the evening for kicking the ball away in injury time, will disrupt the Leeds cause. He will miss the equally vital game against Portsmouth.
There could not have been a more encouraging opening to the game, from a Leeds perspective, that is. The Leicester fans would have been dismayed, appalled even, at the defensive ineptitude of their team in giving away two goals in two minutes, which shifted the balance of power irrevocably towards Leeds.
A raft of corners on the right, executed with a vicious inswing by the left foot of Seth Johnson, was an indication of things to come, although Les Ferdinand, digging deep for his back four, headed each one clear.
In the eleventh minute, though, the loose ball fell to Gary Kelly, who found Johnson with a crisp pass wide. The midfield player returned a high cross into the penalty area, where Duberry easily eluded what passed for markers to power in a header that bounced high off the turf and beyond Ian Walker, the Leicester goalkeeper. It was the defender’s third goal this season and easily the most significant, and a fine way to celebrate his return after an absence of nine weeks with fractured ribs, suffered against Middlesbrough on January 31.
Worse was to follow for Leicester as Walker was beaten again in Leeds’s next attack. This time, the cross wafted in from the left and again Leicester paid dearly for failing to deal with it. First Jermaine Pennant’s header bounced off Ben Thatcher, then Smith snatched at the loose ball before being allowed to tee up Viduka. The Australia forward seldom chooses a routine finish and, with his back to goal, he fired an overhead kick into the bottom corner. Television replays confirmed that Leicester’s claims for offside were futile since Thatcher was playing Viduka on.
Even though Leicester did offer sporadic pockets of resistance, Leeds seemed capable of scoring at will. Viduka sliced a volley wide when Ricardo Scimeca fell conveniently at his feet and, shortly before half-time, Smith saw Thatcher clear his deflected cross wildly as Pennant prepared to pounce.
In between the surges by Leeds, Steve Guppy’s cross from the left had been perfectly weighted for James Scowcroft, but Paul Robinson saved without undue bother beneath his crossbar. Ferdinand also looped an effort on to the roof of the net but, in truth, Leicester were mostly timid in the face of a tigerish Leeds.
Leicester were unable to contain their opponents’ commitment and hunger and Walker kept his colleagues in the hunt with a reaction stop from Smith in the 53rd minute. The England goalkeeper may have his critics, but his handling, as Pennant once more ran unopposed into the danger area, was faultless.
More was required from Walker when Smith tested him with a low shot, then a close-range header. Walker was equal to both.
Yet just when Leeds thought it was safe to relax and dream of salvation, Leicester replied with two goals in as many minutes. A double substitution — Peter Canero on for Ferdinand and Lilian Nalis replacing Freund — inspired the transformation. First Dickov, a first-half substitute, took a pass from Canero, steadied himself and smashed his eleventh goal of the season in the 77th minute.
Whatever Leeds had achieved in the first half, so Leicester could now and sure enough, the equaliser came less than two minutes later. The white shirts back-pedalled as Izzet moved forward and from 20 yards out delivered a rising shot that fizzed beyond Robinson.
There was still time for one last throw of the dice and Leeds came up lucky. James Milner got away down the left and crossed for Viduka, who chested the ball down for Smith to deliver the winner with a rasping low drive.
LEEDS UNITED (4-4-2): P Robinson — G Kelly, M Duberry, S Caldwell, D Domi — J Pennant, D Matteo, Seth Johnson, J Milner — M Viduka, A Smith. Substitutes not used: S Carson, I Harte, L Radebe, A Lennon, Simon Johnson. Booked: Milner, Viduka. Sent off: Viduka.
LEICESTER CITY (4-4-2): I Walker — R Scimeca, N Dabizas, M Heath, B Thatcher — J Scowcroft, S Freund (sub: L Nalis, 75min), M Izzet, S Guppy (sub: P Dickov, 37) — L Ferdinand (sub: P Canero, 75), M Bent. Substitutes not used: D Coyne, W McKinlay. Booked: Heath, Dickov, Thatcher.
Referee: M Dean.
RELEGATION RUN-IN
Home matches in capitals
EVERTON: April: TOTTENHAM (Fri 9), Leeds (Tue 13), Chelsea (Sat 17), BLACKBURN (Sat 24). May: Wolves (Sat 1), BOLTON (Sat 8), Man City (Sat 15)
MANCHESTER CITY: April: WOLVES (Sat 10), Tottenham (Mon 12), SOUTHAMPTON (Sat 17), Leicester (Sat 24). May: NEWCASTLE (Sat 1), Middlesbrough (Sat 8), EVERTON (Sat 15)
BLACKBURN ROVERS: April: LEEDS (Sat 10), Fulham (Mon 12), LEICESTER (Sat 17), Everton (Sat 24). May: MAN UTD (Sat 1), Tottenham (Sat 8), BIRMINGHAM (Sat 15)
PORTSMOUTH: April: Charlton (Sat 10), BIRMINGHAM (Mon 12), MAN UTD (Sat 17), Leeds (Sun 25). May: FULHAM (Sat 1), Leicester (Sat 8), MIDDLESBROUGH (Sat 15). ARSENAL (tba)
LEICESTER CITY: April: FULHAM (Sat 10), Man Utd (Tues 13), Blackburn (Sat 17), MAN CITY (Sat 24). May: Charlton (Sat 1), PORTSMOUTH (Sat 8), Arsenal (Sat 15)
LEEDS UNITED: April: Blackburn (Sat 10), EVERTON (Tues 13), Arsenal (Fri 16), PORTSMOUTH (Sun 25). May: Bolton (Sat 1), CHARLTON (Sat 8), Chelsea (Sat 15)
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS: April: Man City (Sat 10), BOLTON (Mon 12), MIDDLESBROUGH (Sat 17), Birmingham (Sun 25). May: EVERTON (Sat 1), Newcastle (Sat 8), TOTTENHAM (Sat 15)
Smith has the final word to break Leicester's resistance
BY DAVID MCVAY
Leeds United 3 Leicester City 2
COPING in adversity, on and off the field of play, is scarcely a new phenomenon to these clubs but on the evidence at Elland Road last night, it is Leeds United who are in marginally the better shape to preserve their top-flight status in the Barclaycard Premiership.
First-half goals by Michael Duberry and Mark Viduka should have given the home side an unassailable lead, but during a thrilling finale, Paul Dickov and Muzzy Izzet revived Leicester City’s own prospects of escaping relegation.
Incredibly, there was a final twist when Alan Smith, the local hero, scored the winner with only four minutes remaining. However, only time will tell how the dismissal of Viduka, for a silly second caution of the evening for kicking the ball away in injury time, will disrupt the Leeds cause. He will miss the equally vital game against Portsmouth.
There could not have been a more encouraging opening to the game, from a Leeds perspective, that is. The Leicester fans would have been dismayed, appalled even, at the defensive ineptitude of their team in giving away two goals in two minutes, which shifted the balance of power irrevocably towards Leeds.
A raft of corners on the right, executed with a vicious inswing by the left foot of Seth Johnson, was an indication of things to come, although Les Ferdinand, digging deep for his back four, headed each one clear.
In the eleventh minute, though, the loose ball fell to Gary Kelly, who found Johnson with a crisp pass wide. The midfield player returned a high cross into the penalty area, where Duberry easily eluded what passed for markers to power in a header that bounced high off the turf and beyond Ian Walker, the Leicester goalkeeper. It was the defender’s third goal this season and easily the most significant, and a fine way to celebrate his return after an absence of nine weeks with fractured ribs, suffered against Middlesbrough on January 31.
Worse was to follow for Leicester as Walker was beaten again in Leeds’s next attack. This time, the cross wafted in from the left and again Leicester paid dearly for failing to deal with it. First Jermaine Pennant’s header bounced off Ben Thatcher, then Smith snatched at the loose ball before being allowed to tee up Viduka. The Australia forward seldom chooses a routine finish and, with his back to goal, he fired an overhead kick into the bottom corner. Television replays confirmed that Leicester’s claims for offside were futile since Thatcher was playing Viduka on.
Even though Leicester did offer sporadic pockets of resistance, Leeds seemed capable of scoring at will. Viduka sliced a volley wide when Ricardo Scimeca fell conveniently at his feet and, shortly before half-time, Smith saw Thatcher clear his deflected cross wildly as Pennant prepared to pounce.
In between the surges by Leeds, Steve Guppy’s cross from the left had been perfectly weighted for James Scowcroft, but Paul Robinson saved without undue bother beneath his crossbar. Ferdinand also looped an effort on to the roof of the net but, in truth, Leicester were mostly timid in the face of a tigerish Leeds.
Leicester were unable to contain their opponents’ commitment and hunger and Walker kept his colleagues in the hunt with a reaction stop from Smith in the 53rd minute. The England goalkeeper may have his critics, but his handling, as Pennant once more ran unopposed into the danger area, was faultless.
More was required from Walker when Smith tested him with a low shot, then a close-range header. Walker was equal to both.
Yet just when Leeds thought it was safe to relax and dream of salvation, Leicester replied with two goals in as many minutes. A double substitution — Peter Canero on for Ferdinand and Lilian Nalis replacing Freund — inspired the transformation. First Dickov, a first-half substitute, took a pass from Canero, steadied himself and smashed his eleventh goal of the season in the 77th minute.
Whatever Leeds had achieved in the first half, so Leicester could now and sure enough, the equaliser came less than two minutes later. The white shirts back-pedalled as Izzet moved forward and from 20 yards out delivered a rising shot that fizzed beyond Robinson.
There was still time for one last throw of the dice and Leeds came up lucky. James Milner got away down the left and crossed for Viduka, who chested the ball down for Smith to deliver the winner with a rasping low drive.
LEEDS UNITED (4-4-2): P Robinson — G Kelly, M Duberry, S Caldwell, D Domi — J Pennant, D Matteo, Seth Johnson, J Milner — M Viduka, A Smith. Substitutes not used: S Carson, I Harte, L Radebe, A Lennon, Simon Johnson. Booked: Milner, Viduka. Sent off: Viduka.
LEICESTER CITY (4-4-2): I Walker — R Scimeca, N Dabizas, M Heath, B Thatcher — J Scowcroft, S Freund (sub: L Nalis, 75min), M Izzet, S Guppy (sub: P Dickov, 37) — L Ferdinand (sub: P Canero, 75), M Bent. Substitutes not used: D Coyne, W McKinlay. Booked: Heath, Dickov, Thatcher.
Referee: M Dean.
RELEGATION RUN-IN
Home matches in capitals
EVERTON: April: TOTTENHAM (Fri 9), Leeds (Tue 13), Chelsea (Sat 17), BLACKBURN (Sat 24). May: Wolves (Sat 1), BOLTON (Sat 8), Man City (Sat 15)
MANCHESTER CITY: April: WOLVES (Sat 10), Tottenham (Mon 12), SOUTHAMPTON (Sat 17), Leicester (Sat 24). May: NEWCASTLE (Sat 1), Middlesbrough (Sat 8), EVERTON (Sat 15)
BLACKBURN ROVERS: April: LEEDS (Sat 10), Fulham (Mon 12), LEICESTER (Sat 17), Everton (Sat 24). May: MAN UTD (Sat 1), Tottenham (Sat 8), BIRMINGHAM (Sat 15)
PORTSMOUTH: April: Charlton (Sat 10), BIRMINGHAM (Mon 12), MAN UTD (Sat 17), Leeds (Sun 25). May: FULHAM (Sat 1), Leicester (Sat 8), MIDDLESBROUGH (Sat 15). ARSENAL (tba)
LEICESTER CITY: April: FULHAM (Sat 10), Man Utd (Tues 13), Blackburn (Sat 17), MAN CITY (Sat 24). May: Charlton (Sat 1), PORTSMOUTH (Sat 8), Arsenal (Sat 15)
LEEDS UNITED: April: Blackburn (Sat 10), EVERTON (Tues 13), Arsenal (Fri 16), PORTSMOUTH (Sun 25). May: Bolton (Sat 1), CHARLTON (Sat 8), Chelsea (Sat 15)
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS: April: Man City (Sat 10), BOLTON (Mon 12), MIDDLESBROUGH (Sat 17), Birmingham (Sun 25). May: EVERTON (Sat 1), Newcastle (Sat 8), TOTTENHAM (Sat 15)