Leeds United Football Club - Matchreport West Ham United vs Leeds United
David Healy stepped up and comfortably converted the late penalty which arrested the slide for Leeds United, and it was no more than they deserved.
Healy had missed his first penalty for the club, in a game against where it did not matter, but with all the pressure bearing down on him, he kept his cool and fired home. The relief was evident as every Leeds player got together in a huddle to celebrate.
The decision to award the spot-kick was met with fierce protests from the West Ham players, and even Kevin Blackwell would admit it was generous, but there had been two more obvious penalties for Leeds that the referee was not so generous with.
On balance, neither side can complain too much about a point from a game that really only sprang to life in the last half hour.
Team News:
United boss Kevin Blackwell made two changes to the side that lost at Elland Road against Leicester last week.
Clarke Carlisle's ankle injury meant he wasn't able to feature in the game and was replaced at centre-half by Matthew Kilgallon, whose left-back position was filled by Frazer Richardson, normally a right-back.
Danny Pugh, rested for the previous two games, returned to the left wing with Simon Walton the man to miss out, the manager taking the decision to rest the teenager.
West Ham made no changes to the side that beat Sunderland 2-0 in their previous game at the Stadium of Light.
The Match
Leeds found themselves under some early pressure as the home side came out with all guns blazing.
Three minutes were on the clock when Sergei Rebrov became the first player to go for goal but his dipping shot was parried away by Neil Sullivan in the United goal and Leeds escaped punishment from the second ball as Matthew Etherington's cross back into the box was aimless.
Darren Powell hit the bar from West Ham's first corner but he was pulled up for a foul after the referee spotted use of the arm.
United's first real attack of any promise came on nine minutes when Danny Pugh swung in a corner, it was returned to him out wide and he struck a fierce shot into the area that may have been on target but was hastily cleared away by Anton Ferdinand at the expense of another corner.
Leeds were unable to make anything from their second corner, but a minute later they were nearly gifted an unexpected opener.
Brian Deane robbed Darren Powell by the cornerflag and went for goal from a narrow angle, just clipping the crossbar with the keeper beaten and true to form the ball didn't bounce favorably back into play for an easy tap in.
David Healy then saw a shot on the turn saved by Stephen Bywater in the Hammers goal, although it took him two attempts to control the strike.
On 18 minutes David Healy was brought tumbling to the ground by West Ham 'hardman' Tomas Repka with a tackle from behind and the defender was given a warning by referee Mike Pike.
Five minutes later Leeds had a lucky escape after a real foul up inside their own area after Repka's free-kick was missed and then skipper Paul Butler produced a rare error as he lost control of the ball and ended up tangling with Repka before clearing the ball for a corner.
It was United's turn to get a chance from a mistake on the half hour and it nearly ended with another spectacular goal for David Healey. The striker latched onto a missed header from Darren Powell and shot from 25-yards but the keeper got the slightest of touches to just do enough to turn it away from goal for a corner.
The half ended for United with a contentious penalty decision, which needless to say, United were not given. As Danny Pugh was played through on the edge of the area by Brian Deane, a foot came out from Ferdinand and appeared to trip the left-winger, but the referee was close to the action and waved play on, judging that Ferdinand got to the ball first.
United started well in the second half but just four minutes in and they found themselves a goal down after failing to deal with a searching cross into the box.
It was Etheringron who played the ball in from the left wing and the header from Marlon Harewood came off an unfortunate Matthew Kilgallon and fell nicely for Luke Chadwick to fire home.
Leeds had somehow got to lift themselves to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat.
With ten minutes of the half played Leeds should have been back on level terms when David Healy played the ball into the area and Brian Deane came steaming in and smashed the ball from ten yards out- unfortunately he somehow missed the target again.
The home side made another change on 66 minutes, taking the goalscorer Luke Chadwick off and replacing him with Nigel Reo-Coker.
Leeds were struggling to create more gilt-edged chances, but whilst the score remained 1-0 there was always hope and they played with plenty of it, just weren't able to find the final ball in the last third of the pitch that has eluded them so much this season.
The Whites were fortunate not to be 2-0 down on 72 minutes when Steve Lomas broke clear after playing the quick one-two, but were were grateful to Matthew Kilgallon for getting back and putting in a sliding tackle to block the shot.
The near chance lifted the crowd and West Ham turned up the pressure and when Sheringham shot from ten yards the travelling fans behind Neil Sullivan's goal feared the worst, but Sheri's strike was expertly turned away by Sullivan.
Gary Kelly was the first Leeds player booked just after the chance for cutting short Etherington's run.
Sullivan was again called upon to save United when he turned over Reo-Coker's header from six yards out after the free-kick from the increasingly dangerous Etherington had found the forward with pin-point accuracy.
Jamie McMaster came on for Oster with five minutes left to see if he could rescue something from the game with his trickery. A few minutes later and United's final change saw Simon Walton on for Jermaine Wright.
Leeds were denied a penalty right on the stroke of the end of normal time when Darren Powell clearly handballed inside the area but nothing was given.
Whilst United were still making their protests and West Ham were counting their lucky stars Leeds were finally awarded a penalty!
It was Steve Lomas's clumsy challenge on Healy in the area that saw referee Mike Pike award it, and Healy stepped up to take it and superbly blasted the ball hard and low into the right hand corner of the net, comfortably beating the keeper even if he did guess the right way.
The final whistle went to cries of cheat, cheat aimed at the United squad who immediately went over to celebrate with the Leeds fans, but justice had finally been served and for once Leeds got some reward.
David Healy stepped up and comfortably converted the late penalty which arrested the slide for Leeds United, and it was no more than they deserved.
Healy had missed his first penalty for the club, in a game against where it did not matter, but with all the pressure bearing down on him, he kept his cool and fired home. The relief was evident as every Leeds player got together in a huddle to celebrate.
The decision to award the spot-kick was met with fierce protests from the West Ham players, and even Kevin Blackwell would admit it was generous, but there had been two more obvious penalties for Leeds that the referee was not so generous with.
On balance, neither side can complain too much about a point from a game that really only sprang to life in the last half hour.
Team News:
United boss Kevin Blackwell made two changes to the side that lost at Elland Road against Leicester last week.
Clarke Carlisle's ankle injury meant he wasn't able to feature in the game and was replaced at centre-half by Matthew Kilgallon, whose left-back position was filled by Frazer Richardson, normally a right-back.
Danny Pugh, rested for the previous two games, returned to the left wing with Simon Walton the man to miss out, the manager taking the decision to rest the teenager.
West Ham made no changes to the side that beat Sunderland 2-0 in their previous game at the Stadium of Light.
The Match
Leeds found themselves under some early pressure as the home side came out with all guns blazing.
Three minutes were on the clock when Sergei Rebrov became the first player to go for goal but his dipping shot was parried away by Neil Sullivan in the United goal and Leeds escaped punishment from the second ball as Matthew Etherington's cross back into the box was aimless.
Darren Powell hit the bar from West Ham's first corner but he was pulled up for a foul after the referee spotted use of the arm.
United's first real attack of any promise came on nine minutes when Danny Pugh swung in a corner, it was returned to him out wide and he struck a fierce shot into the area that may have been on target but was hastily cleared away by Anton Ferdinand at the expense of another corner.
Leeds were unable to make anything from their second corner, but a minute later they were nearly gifted an unexpected opener.
Brian Deane robbed Darren Powell by the cornerflag and went for goal from a narrow angle, just clipping the crossbar with the keeper beaten and true to form the ball didn't bounce favorably back into play for an easy tap in.
David Healy then saw a shot on the turn saved by Stephen Bywater in the Hammers goal, although it took him two attempts to control the strike.
On 18 minutes David Healy was brought tumbling to the ground by West Ham 'hardman' Tomas Repka with a tackle from behind and the defender was given a warning by referee Mike Pike.
Five minutes later Leeds had a lucky escape after a real foul up inside their own area after Repka's free-kick was missed and then skipper Paul Butler produced a rare error as he lost control of the ball and ended up tangling with Repka before clearing the ball for a corner.
It was United's turn to get a chance from a mistake on the half hour and it nearly ended with another spectacular goal for David Healey. The striker latched onto a missed header from Darren Powell and shot from 25-yards but the keeper got the slightest of touches to just do enough to turn it away from goal for a corner.
The half ended for United with a contentious penalty decision, which needless to say, United were not given. As Danny Pugh was played through on the edge of the area by Brian Deane, a foot came out from Ferdinand and appeared to trip the left-winger, but the referee was close to the action and waved play on, judging that Ferdinand got to the ball first.
United started well in the second half but just four minutes in and they found themselves a goal down after failing to deal with a searching cross into the box.
It was Etheringron who played the ball in from the left wing and the header from Marlon Harewood came off an unfortunate Matthew Kilgallon and fell nicely for Luke Chadwick to fire home.
Leeds had somehow got to lift themselves to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat.
With ten minutes of the half played Leeds should have been back on level terms when David Healy played the ball into the area and Brian Deane came steaming in and smashed the ball from ten yards out- unfortunately he somehow missed the target again.
The home side made another change on 66 minutes, taking the goalscorer Luke Chadwick off and replacing him with Nigel Reo-Coker.
Leeds were struggling to create more gilt-edged chances, but whilst the score remained 1-0 there was always hope and they played with plenty of it, just weren't able to find the final ball in the last third of the pitch that has eluded them so much this season.
The Whites were fortunate not to be 2-0 down on 72 minutes when Steve Lomas broke clear after playing the quick one-two, but were were grateful to Matthew Kilgallon for getting back and putting in a sliding tackle to block the shot.
The near chance lifted the crowd and West Ham turned up the pressure and when Sheringham shot from ten yards the travelling fans behind Neil Sullivan's goal feared the worst, but Sheri's strike was expertly turned away by Sullivan.
Gary Kelly was the first Leeds player booked just after the chance for cutting short Etherington's run.
Sullivan was again called upon to save United when he turned over Reo-Coker's header from six yards out after the free-kick from the increasingly dangerous Etherington had found the forward with pin-point accuracy.
Jamie McMaster came on for Oster with five minutes left to see if he could rescue something from the game with his trickery. A few minutes later and United's final change saw Simon Walton on for Jermaine Wright.
Leeds were denied a penalty right on the stroke of the end of normal time when Darren Powell clearly handballed inside the area but nothing was given.
Whilst United were still making their protests and West Ham were counting their lucky stars Leeds were finally awarded a penalty!
It was Steve Lomas's clumsy challenge on Healy in the area that saw referee Mike Pike award it, and Healy stepped up to take it and superbly blasted the ball hard and low into the right hand corner of the net, comfortably beating the keeper even if he did guess the right way.
The final whistle went to cries of cheat, cheat aimed at the United squad who immediately went over to celebrate with the Leeds fans, but justice had finally been served and for once Leeds got some reward.
