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Duberry poised for farewell after costly mistake
Richard Sutcliffe
at St Andrews
Birmingham City 3
Leeds United 0
MICHAEL DUBERRY could have played his last game for Leeds United after a costly first-half blunder helped Birmingham City dump Kevin Blackwell's side out of the FA Cup.
The big defender lasted just 22 minutes on his first United outing for more than four months before being hauled off complaining of a hamstring injury. Duberry was only back in the side due to the suspension of Paul Butler and Clarke Carlisle, a three-month loan spell at Stoke City being cut short a week early by Blackwell.
And the return turned into a nightmare after just 20 minutes when he unwisely tried to dribble round two opponents in the centre circle, allowing Darren Anderton to claim possession. Seconds later, and with Duberry out of position, the ball was worked to Darren Carter via Clinton Morrison and the Blues midfielder coolly beat Neil Sullivan from 15 yards to put the home side 2-0 ahead.
Blackwell, who declined to comment on Duberry's mistake when questioned after the game, immediately replaced the defender with Danny Pugh and moved Sean Gregan into the back four, United looking much more solid as a result.
Duberry undoubtedly has talent – anyone who saw the manner in which he snuffed out the threat of AC Milan's Andriy Shevchencko at Elland Road in September 2000 during United's Champions League run can testify to that.
Stoke manager Tony Pulis was also impressed with Duberry during his recent three-month loan spell at the Britannia Stadium.
But the moment the former Chelsea defender is back in a Leeds shirt all the old frailties return and his future seems destined to lie away from Elland Road.
Duberry told the Yorkshire Post: "I don't know about the future. I did well at Stoke but don't know if they will come back in for me. I have been at Leeds for six years and had great times – every time I speak to an ex-player, we sit and reminisce about the good old days. I don't want to end it on a sour note.
"But if I am honest, I knew that after today I would not have been in the team. He would have brought Paul Butler and Clarke Carlisle back.
"At the beginning of the season, I was all smiles and wanted to play football. But it has been polluted by politics and off-the-field antics. It is not about football any more."
Leeds could only agree the loan deal with Stoke by offering to pay a large portion of Duberry's £23,000 per week wage and the defender admits: "It is no secret that my wages are scaring clubs off, not a lot of people want to take that sort of thing on. I am in a strange situation because if I am to go anywhere there will be a lot of things to sort out.
"I will have a scan on my hamstring early this week. It popped in the first five minutes, I tried to carry on because it didn't seem that bad but I could not sprint."
Leeds started slowly at St Andrews with City creating three chances in the opening 10 minutes, Emile Heskey, Carter and Julian Gray going close. Matthew Kilgallon, celebrating his 21st birthday, found it difficult to deal with the aerial prowess of man of the match Heskey whose link-up play with Morrison also caused United a host of problems.
It was a knock-down from Morrison that created the opening goal for Heskey after just 11 minutes, the former England striker deftly chipping Sullivan from 15 yards.
Duberry's costly mistake allowed the Blues to double their advantage nine minutes later through Carter who also notched the third goal midway through the second half when a swift counter-attack caught Leeds out.
United did, at least, impress when going forward with David Healy and Frazer Richardson bringing saves from Maik Taylor in the first half while Simon Walton should have done better than head narrowly wide when unmarked eight yards out.
In the second half, the outstanding Richardson beat four defenders before seeing his drilled shot superbly saved by Taylor, the Blues goalkeeper then springing to his feet to block the rebound from Julian Joachim and condemn Leeds to an early Cup exit.
Birmingham City: Taylor; Melchiot, Cunningham, Upson, Lazaridis (Clapham 40); Anderton (Tebily 77), Carter, Clemence, Gray; Heskey (Blake 67), Morrison.
Leeds United: Sullivan; Kelly, Duberry (Pugh 22), Kilgallon, Richardson; Wright, Gregan, Walton; Lennon, Blake (Joachim 18), Healy.
Referee: G Poll (Herts).
Leeds man of the match: Richardson
Duberry poised for farewell after costly mistake
Richard Sutcliffe
at St Andrews
Birmingham City 3
Leeds United 0
MICHAEL DUBERRY could have played his last game for Leeds United after a costly first-half blunder helped Birmingham City dump Kevin Blackwell's side out of the FA Cup.
The big defender lasted just 22 minutes on his first United outing for more than four months before being hauled off complaining of a hamstring injury. Duberry was only back in the side due to the suspension of Paul Butler and Clarke Carlisle, a three-month loan spell at Stoke City being cut short a week early by Blackwell.
And the return turned into a nightmare after just 20 minutes when he unwisely tried to dribble round two opponents in the centre circle, allowing Darren Anderton to claim possession. Seconds later, and with Duberry out of position, the ball was worked to Darren Carter via Clinton Morrison and the Blues midfielder coolly beat Neil Sullivan from 15 yards to put the home side 2-0 ahead.
Blackwell, who declined to comment on Duberry's mistake when questioned after the game, immediately replaced the defender with Danny Pugh and moved Sean Gregan into the back four, United looking much more solid as a result.
Duberry undoubtedly has talent – anyone who saw the manner in which he snuffed out the threat of AC Milan's Andriy Shevchencko at Elland Road in September 2000 during United's Champions League run can testify to that.
Stoke manager Tony Pulis was also impressed with Duberry during his recent three-month loan spell at the Britannia Stadium.
But the moment the former Chelsea defender is back in a Leeds shirt all the old frailties return and his future seems destined to lie away from Elland Road.
Duberry told the Yorkshire Post: "I don't know about the future. I did well at Stoke but don't know if they will come back in for me. I have been at Leeds for six years and had great times – every time I speak to an ex-player, we sit and reminisce about the good old days. I don't want to end it on a sour note.
"But if I am honest, I knew that after today I would not have been in the team. He would have brought Paul Butler and Clarke Carlisle back.
"At the beginning of the season, I was all smiles and wanted to play football. But it has been polluted by politics and off-the-field antics. It is not about football any more."
Leeds could only agree the loan deal with Stoke by offering to pay a large portion of Duberry's £23,000 per week wage and the defender admits: "It is no secret that my wages are scaring clubs off, not a lot of people want to take that sort of thing on. I am in a strange situation because if I am to go anywhere there will be a lot of things to sort out.
"I will have a scan on my hamstring early this week. It popped in the first five minutes, I tried to carry on because it didn't seem that bad but I could not sprint."
Leeds started slowly at St Andrews with City creating three chances in the opening 10 minutes, Emile Heskey, Carter and Julian Gray going close. Matthew Kilgallon, celebrating his 21st birthday, found it difficult to deal with the aerial prowess of man of the match Heskey whose link-up play with Morrison also caused United a host of problems.
It was a knock-down from Morrison that created the opening goal for Heskey after just 11 minutes, the former England striker deftly chipping Sullivan from 15 yards.
Duberry's costly mistake allowed the Blues to double their advantage nine minutes later through Carter who also notched the third goal midway through the second half when a swift counter-attack caught Leeds out.
United did, at least, impress when going forward with David Healy and Frazer Richardson bringing saves from Maik Taylor in the first half while Simon Walton should have done better than head narrowly wide when unmarked eight yards out.
In the second half, the outstanding Richardson beat four defenders before seeing his drilled shot superbly saved by Taylor, the Blues goalkeeper then springing to his feet to block the rebound from Julian Joachim and condemn Leeds to an early Cup exit.
Birmingham City: Taylor; Melchiot, Cunningham, Upson, Lazaridis (Clapham 40); Anderton (Tebily 77), Carter, Clemence, Gray; Heskey (Blake 67), Morrison.
Leeds United: Sullivan; Kelly, Duberry (Pugh 22), Kilgallon, Richardson; Wright, Gregan, Walton; Lennon, Blake (Joachim 18), Healy.
Referee: G Poll (Herts).
Leeds man of the match: Richardson
