Leeds United Football Club - Matchreport Leeds United vs Crewe Alexandra
Pre-match
Leeds made just one change from the side that beat Plymouth four days previous, with Brian Deane having picked up a shoulder injury that is likely to put him out for up to six weeks in that game.
Kevin Blackwell moved quickly though to bring in a striker on loan and Leicester forward Nathan Blake came in for his United debut against Crewe.
Elsewhere the biggest talking point was on the bench where Icelandic international Gylfi Einarsson featured, having been given permission at the last minute by the FA to play. The former Lillestrom midfielder had been prevented from completing his move to Elland Road until today, when the transfer window reopened.
The Match
Before the game began a minute's silence was held to remember the victims of the tsunami disaster that struck south Asia on Boxing Day. The silence was impeccably observed by both sets of fans. The players also wore black armbands.
With two minutes having been played, Frazer Richardson broke between two players in midfield to set up an attack that nearly produced the first goal of the game.
The full-back played the ball to Healy on the left and he fired the ball across the face of goal where debutant Nathan Blake just failed to make contact with the ball by about an inch.
Five minutes later and after Aaron Lennon had excited the crowd with his skill on the ball, taking on and beating two Crewe players, Pugh got behind the defence and tried to play in Blake but defender Richard Walker stuck a boot out to take it away from the Welshman who would have had the goal at his mercy.
It had been all one way traffic until Crewe won a corner fifteen minutes into the game.
The ball was delivered into the area at waist height into the box and was hit on the half-volley by Alex's coveted striker Dean Ashton on the turn and it flew straight into the bottom left hand corner.
Crewe had taken the lead thanks to Leeds switching off in a situation they should have been able to deal with comfortably.
Leeds response was lukewarm with only the occasional flash of good play to suggest a goal might be coming. Aaron Lennon provided one just before the half-hour mark when he raced at the Crewe back four and struck a 20-yard strike which the keeper did well to get down and palm behind for a corner.
Five minutes later and David Healy forced another good stop out of the keeper, his low shot had come through a crowded penalty area but Trinidad & Tobago international Clayton Ince was proving to be in good form.
Lennon was enjoying his extended spell in the team, and on the evidence he was providing it was hard to see how manager Kevin Blackwell could leave him out. He was at his best when he knocked the ball forward and beat left-back Adie Moses in a straight race for the ball, and the low shot on goal appeared to have the beating of Ince but he managed to get an outstretched right arm onto the ball to turn it away from danger.
At half time Elland Road saw the most spectacular hailstorm as the heavens opened and assisted by a driving wind the pitch took a real battering. Rollers were used to try and pick up some of the surface water but with the rain continuing to lash down, it was a fruitless battle.
Leeds were attacking the Kop end and Aaron Lennon was doing most of it. Twice he flashed shots across the face of goal and also forced a corner out of the keeper. He was getting closer to a goal each time.
Six minutes into the half Lennon found Danny Pugh in space inside the penalty area, but the probably due to the sodden conditions underfoot, the left winger couldn't take the ball in his stride and the chance was gone.
Leeds were not faring well in the rain and the scoreline took a change for the worse too when Crewe went 2-0 up on 55 minutes.
From a free-kick 25-yards out, Kenny Lunt's ball in caused confusion at the back, it was half cleared and fell nicely for Mark Rivers who had been loitering with intent on the edge of the area. The striker drove it past a number of white and red shirts into the net.
Leeds had let in two goals against Crewe at Gresty Road and scored two themselves, and they were now having to do it all again.
Matt Kilgallon set about trying to reduce the arrears when he broke down the left wing and delivered a cross into the area that should have been tucked into the back of the net but both Blake and Lennon missed it.
Just past the hour mark Kevin Blackwell made his first change of the game. Danny Pugh went off and Gylfi Einarsson came on for his Leeds United debut with his new club facing a mountain to climb if they were to get anything out of the game.
When play resumed Sean Gregan was the first man to be booked after a foul on Lee Bell. Skipper Paul Butler later joined him in the referee's notebook when he brought down David Vaughan. It was Butler's fifth booking of the season and he now misses the FA Cup game with Birmingham City.
Leeds second substitution saw Simon Walton replace Jermaine Wright and later, with just nine minutes left to rescue something, Michael Ricketts came on for Gary Kelly.
United were reduced to ten men on 84 minutes when Butler raced back to tackle sub Luke Varney and mistimed it. The second yellow card came out followed by the red and Butler is now suspended for the trip to Coventry as well as the Birmingham game.
David Healy saw another shot from close range saved by Ince late on, and Gylfi Einarsson just couldn't get to the ball before the keeper as he missed out on a debut goal, but Ince was without doubt man of the match and was determined not to be beaten today.
For Leeds, their recent good run came crashing to a halt, and Kevin Blackwell must hope it hasn't set the tone for the rest of 2005.
Pre-match
Leeds made just one change from the side that beat Plymouth four days previous, with Brian Deane having picked up a shoulder injury that is likely to put him out for up to six weeks in that game.
Kevin Blackwell moved quickly though to bring in a striker on loan and Leicester forward Nathan Blake came in for his United debut against Crewe.
Elsewhere the biggest talking point was on the bench where Icelandic international Gylfi Einarsson featured, having been given permission at the last minute by the FA to play. The former Lillestrom midfielder had been prevented from completing his move to Elland Road until today, when the transfer window reopened.
The Match
Before the game began a minute's silence was held to remember the victims of the tsunami disaster that struck south Asia on Boxing Day. The silence was impeccably observed by both sets of fans. The players also wore black armbands.
With two minutes having been played, Frazer Richardson broke between two players in midfield to set up an attack that nearly produced the first goal of the game.
The full-back played the ball to Healy on the left and he fired the ball across the face of goal where debutant Nathan Blake just failed to make contact with the ball by about an inch.
Five minutes later and after Aaron Lennon had excited the crowd with his skill on the ball, taking on and beating two Crewe players, Pugh got behind the defence and tried to play in Blake but defender Richard Walker stuck a boot out to take it away from the Welshman who would have had the goal at his mercy.
It had been all one way traffic until Crewe won a corner fifteen minutes into the game.
The ball was delivered into the area at waist height into the box and was hit on the half-volley by Alex's coveted striker Dean Ashton on the turn and it flew straight into the bottom left hand corner.
Crewe had taken the lead thanks to Leeds switching off in a situation they should have been able to deal with comfortably.
Leeds response was lukewarm with only the occasional flash of good play to suggest a goal might be coming. Aaron Lennon provided one just before the half-hour mark when he raced at the Crewe back four and struck a 20-yard strike which the keeper did well to get down and palm behind for a corner.
Five minutes later and David Healy forced another good stop out of the keeper, his low shot had come through a crowded penalty area but Trinidad & Tobago international Clayton Ince was proving to be in good form.
Lennon was enjoying his extended spell in the team, and on the evidence he was providing it was hard to see how manager Kevin Blackwell could leave him out. He was at his best when he knocked the ball forward and beat left-back Adie Moses in a straight race for the ball, and the low shot on goal appeared to have the beating of Ince but he managed to get an outstretched right arm onto the ball to turn it away from danger.
At half time Elland Road saw the most spectacular hailstorm as the heavens opened and assisted by a driving wind the pitch took a real battering. Rollers were used to try and pick up some of the surface water but with the rain continuing to lash down, it was a fruitless battle.
Leeds were attacking the Kop end and Aaron Lennon was doing most of it. Twice he flashed shots across the face of goal and also forced a corner out of the keeper. He was getting closer to a goal each time.
Six minutes into the half Lennon found Danny Pugh in space inside the penalty area, but the probably due to the sodden conditions underfoot, the left winger couldn't take the ball in his stride and the chance was gone.
Leeds were not faring well in the rain and the scoreline took a change for the worse too when Crewe went 2-0 up on 55 minutes.
From a free-kick 25-yards out, Kenny Lunt's ball in caused confusion at the back, it was half cleared and fell nicely for Mark Rivers who had been loitering with intent on the edge of the area. The striker drove it past a number of white and red shirts into the net.
Leeds had let in two goals against Crewe at Gresty Road and scored two themselves, and they were now having to do it all again.
Matt Kilgallon set about trying to reduce the arrears when he broke down the left wing and delivered a cross into the area that should have been tucked into the back of the net but both Blake and Lennon missed it.
Just past the hour mark Kevin Blackwell made his first change of the game. Danny Pugh went off and Gylfi Einarsson came on for his Leeds United debut with his new club facing a mountain to climb if they were to get anything out of the game.
When play resumed Sean Gregan was the first man to be booked after a foul on Lee Bell. Skipper Paul Butler later joined him in the referee's notebook when he brought down David Vaughan. It was Butler's fifth booking of the season and he now misses the FA Cup game with Birmingham City.
Leeds second substitution saw Simon Walton replace Jermaine Wright and later, with just nine minutes left to rescue something, Michael Ricketts came on for Gary Kelly.
United were reduced to ten men on 84 minutes when Butler raced back to tackle sub Luke Varney and mistimed it. The second yellow card came out followed by the red and Butler is now suspended for the trip to Coventry as well as the Birmingham game.
David Healy saw another shot from close range saved by Ince late on, and Gylfi Einarsson just couldn't get to the ball before the keeper as he missed out on a debut goal, but Ince was without doubt man of the match and was determined not to be beaten today.
For Leeds, their recent good run came crashing to a halt, and Kevin Blackwell must hope it hasn't set the tone for the rest of 2005.