Leeds United Football Club - Kevin's Delight At Hard Fought Win
Leeds 1 Derby 0
On a sweltering day at Elland Road, with temperatures in the 90s at pitch level, Kevin Blackwell’s new-look Leeds side delighted their loyal fans with a hard-fought 1-0 win.
A superb Frazer Richardson goal after 72 minutes gave them victory, but a superb last-minute save by Neil Sullivan ensured the three points.
There were seven debutants in the starting eleven, with 16-year-old Simon Walton lining up in midfield alongside Jermaine Wright. Up front Michael Ricketts was playing with Julian Joachim.
Gary Kelly took an accidental blow to the face in the game’s first minute after tangling with Bisgaard, but thankfully he was unscathed and carried on.
Walton got a chance to impress after five minutes, when a Ricketts knock down found him in space on the edge of the area, but his left foot shot was hooked over.
Leeds looked much more comfortable on the ball in the opening 20 minutes, and their first on target chance came after 16 minutes, when Danny Pugh headed a Wright cross downwards, but Derby’s keeper, Lee Camp, was right where he had to be and made a block with his legs.
Three minutes later, and Leeds should have scored. Joachim sped away after taking on a Ricketts flick and was one-on-one with Camp, but his shot went just wide after a touch from the keeper.
After half an hour the game slowed down understandably with the oppressive heat, but on 35 minutes a Pugh free-kick dipped alarmingly and Camp had to tip over. Ther Derby defence looked uncomfortable at times, by contrast Leeds looked solid when Derby threatened and dealt with what few opportunities the visitors had.
However on 43 minutes, Johnson put a superb header past Sullivan from a corner, but it was disallowed presumably for the ball crossing the dead ball line in flight.
Leeds continued well after the break, and on 57 minutes Simon Walton looked good for a goal from a cross from the right, but he got underneath the header and failed to get it on target.
Six minutes later, and Leeds’ fans had their hands over their eyes when a Junior shot rolled across the goal from the left, but Sullivam just got down to it and finger-tipped it wide.
Walton was replaced a minute later and got a huge ovation from the crowd, as did his replacement Lucas Radebe – a mere 19 years his senior!
But it was on 72 minutes when Elland Road erupted. Richardson received the ball on the right, and as the defence backed off he cut in and curled a shot in with his left foot past the despairing dive of Camp to send the crowd into ecstasy. It was fully deserved for both player and crowd.
The home side dominated the remainder of normal tim, with Pugh coming close with a shot that curled away at the last minute past the right hand post.
But it was in stoppage time that Neil Sullivan saved the day with a marvellous save. Ian Taylor headed on to the post, an effort which the Scottish custodian may have touched. The rebound was smashed goalwards by Junior, but Sullivan was back up and parried it wide a split-second later, instantly earning himself hero status.
The whistle went a minute later, and the ground erupted with relief. It is ironic that with all the new players coming into the squad over the summer, one of the old guard, Frazer Richardson, was the one who’s efforts have given the fans just the start they were hoping for.
Old School Heroics Do The Business For The New Leeds
Frazer Richardson is the new hero of Elland Road after his brilliantly taken second half goal gave Leeds an opening day win over Derby County.
It is an irony that after all the comings and goings at Elland Road over the summer that it was one of the "old guard", albeit one who seldom featured regularly over the last season or two, that grabbed the goal that delighted the fans on a stifling day at Elland Road.
The versatile Richardson played in midfield today, and his curling left-footed shot on 72 minutes that went past the flailing Derby keeper Lee Camp was just what he, the team, management and fans were waiting for.
"It's a dream come true, I've been waiting since I was 16 to get to this point, and now hopefully I can grab it with both hands. It was a great feeling, my Dad was up there so I really enjoyed it.
"I scored one in pre-season just like, but I cut inside and hit it with my left peg so if more go in like that I'll be very happy."
He also appreciates that his new colleagues have faced a difficult task to knit together in pre-season, but he said that he thinks the hard work has paid off.
"The lads have worked very very hard in pre-season, they've been first class. It's a new set of players, and if they can gel together and put in more performance like that I'm sure we'll do well this season."
Another long term Leeds player, Gary Kelly, echoed the sentiments and was keen to stress that Leeds have got to look to making home advantage count.
"It's important we get off to a good start this year, no-one fancies us so there's no pressure on us som it was really important that we picked up three points today, especially in home games.
"That's the result of a really tough pre-season, being away from home and working hard - I think there's another 55 games like that!"
Kevin's Delight At Hard Fought Win
Kevin Blackwell is delighted with the win over Derby, but would like his side to finish games off for the good of his health!
Leeds fully deserved their 1-0 win and had a good deal more chances than the eventual scoreline reflects, but on a baking hot day in front of expectant fans the new-look Leeds held their nerve.
The side included seven players brought in by Blackwell over the summer, a point the manager was keen to reiterate afterwards.
"The side is brand new, and the understanding and the confidence can only come from winning games, so it was a crucial win for us today and that will give the lads a little bit more belief and a little bit more confidence.
"I'm thoroughly delighted with the lads, we looked rusty at times but they showed some determination today and we could maybe have finished the game off a little bit quicker.
In the games dying minutes new keeper Neil Sullivan showed why Blackwell brought him in last week with a stunning save that kept the score at 1-0, but the home side could have finished things off after scoring, with Pugh in particular going close.
"I've had a word with the strikers, and if I'm going to be a manager of any Leeds side my strikers better finish the game early so I don't have heart attacks!", laughed the manager, who understands that the side will have to win games like this through steely detrmination rather than champagne football.
"That's Sully's second game, that's Jermaine Wright's second game. There are so many lads that we've got to find out more about as the season goes on.
"Today we had to dig in and we did. To win games sometimes you can play prettily or you can dig in dirtily and today we had to hang in at times."
Leeds 1 Derby 0
On a sweltering day at Elland Road, with temperatures in the 90s at pitch level, Kevin Blackwell’s new-look Leeds side delighted their loyal fans with a hard-fought 1-0 win.
A superb Frazer Richardson goal after 72 minutes gave them victory, but a superb last-minute save by Neil Sullivan ensured the three points.
There were seven debutants in the starting eleven, with 16-year-old Simon Walton lining up in midfield alongside Jermaine Wright. Up front Michael Ricketts was playing with Julian Joachim.
Gary Kelly took an accidental blow to the face in the game’s first minute after tangling with Bisgaard, but thankfully he was unscathed and carried on.
Walton got a chance to impress after five minutes, when a Ricketts knock down found him in space on the edge of the area, but his left foot shot was hooked over.
Leeds looked much more comfortable on the ball in the opening 20 minutes, and their first on target chance came after 16 minutes, when Danny Pugh headed a Wright cross downwards, but Derby’s keeper, Lee Camp, was right where he had to be and made a block with his legs.
Three minutes later, and Leeds should have scored. Joachim sped away after taking on a Ricketts flick and was one-on-one with Camp, but his shot went just wide after a touch from the keeper.
After half an hour the game slowed down understandably with the oppressive heat, but on 35 minutes a Pugh free-kick dipped alarmingly and Camp had to tip over. Ther Derby defence looked uncomfortable at times, by contrast Leeds looked solid when Derby threatened and dealt with what few opportunities the visitors had.
However on 43 minutes, Johnson put a superb header past Sullivan from a corner, but it was disallowed presumably for the ball crossing the dead ball line in flight.
Leeds continued well after the break, and on 57 minutes Simon Walton looked good for a goal from a cross from the right, but he got underneath the header and failed to get it on target.
Six minutes later, and Leeds’ fans had their hands over their eyes when a Junior shot rolled across the goal from the left, but Sullivam just got down to it and finger-tipped it wide.
Walton was replaced a minute later and got a huge ovation from the crowd, as did his replacement Lucas Radebe – a mere 19 years his senior!
But it was on 72 minutes when Elland Road erupted. Richardson received the ball on the right, and as the defence backed off he cut in and curled a shot in with his left foot past the despairing dive of Camp to send the crowd into ecstasy. It was fully deserved for both player and crowd.
The home side dominated the remainder of normal tim, with Pugh coming close with a shot that curled away at the last minute past the right hand post.
But it was in stoppage time that Neil Sullivan saved the day with a marvellous save. Ian Taylor headed on to the post, an effort which the Scottish custodian may have touched. The rebound was smashed goalwards by Junior, but Sullivan was back up and parried it wide a split-second later, instantly earning himself hero status.
The whistle went a minute later, and the ground erupted with relief. It is ironic that with all the new players coming into the squad over the summer, one of the old guard, Frazer Richardson, was the one who’s efforts have given the fans just the start they were hoping for.
Old School Heroics Do The Business For The New Leeds
Frazer Richardson is the new hero of Elland Road after his brilliantly taken second half goal gave Leeds an opening day win over Derby County.
It is an irony that after all the comings and goings at Elland Road over the summer that it was one of the "old guard", albeit one who seldom featured regularly over the last season or two, that grabbed the goal that delighted the fans on a stifling day at Elland Road.
The versatile Richardson played in midfield today, and his curling left-footed shot on 72 minutes that went past the flailing Derby keeper Lee Camp was just what he, the team, management and fans were waiting for.
"It's a dream come true, I've been waiting since I was 16 to get to this point, and now hopefully I can grab it with both hands. It was a great feeling, my Dad was up there so I really enjoyed it.
"I scored one in pre-season just like, but I cut inside and hit it with my left peg so if more go in like that I'll be very happy."
He also appreciates that his new colleagues have faced a difficult task to knit together in pre-season, but he said that he thinks the hard work has paid off.
"The lads have worked very very hard in pre-season, they've been first class. It's a new set of players, and if they can gel together and put in more performance like that I'm sure we'll do well this season."
Another long term Leeds player, Gary Kelly, echoed the sentiments and was keen to stress that Leeds have got to look to making home advantage count.
"It's important we get off to a good start this year, no-one fancies us so there's no pressure on us som it was really important that we picked up three points today, especially in home games.
"That's the result of a really tough pre-season, being away from home and working hard - I think there's another 55 games like that!"
Kevin's Delight At Hard Fought Win
Kevin Blackwell is delighted with the win over Derby, but would like his side to finish games off for the good of his health!
Leeds fully deserved their 1-0 win and had a good deal more chances than the eventual scoreline reflects, but on a baking hot day in front of expectant fans the new-look Leeds held their nerve.
The side included seven players brought in by Blackwell over the summer, a point the manager was keen to reiterate afterwards.
"The side is brand new, and the understanding and the confidence can only come from winning games, so it was a crucial win for us today and that will give the lads a little bit more belief and a little bit more confidence.
"I'm thoroughly delighted with the lads, we looked rusty at times but they showed some determination today and we could maybe have finished the game off a little bit quicker.
In the games dying minutes new keeper Neil Sullivan showed why Blackwell brought him in last week with a stunning save that kept the score at 1-0, but the home side could have finished things off after scoring, with Pugh in particular going close.
"I've had a word with the strikers, and if I'm going to be a manager of any Leeds side my strikers better finish the game early so I don't have heart attacks!", laughed the manager, who understands that the side will have to win games like this through steely detrmination rather than champagne football.
"That's Sully's second game, that's Jermaine Wright's second game. There are so many lads that we've got to find out more about as the season goes on.
"Today we had to dig in and we did. To win games sometimes you can play prettily or you can dig in dirtily and today we had to hang in at times."
