Leeds United Football Club - Matchreport Leeds United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Leeds 1 Wolves 1
Pre-Match
United boss Kevin Blackwell has made four changes to the side that drew with Nottingham Forest almost three weeks previously.
The break from fixtures has not been kind to Leeds with a bout of tonsillitis raging through the camp, accounting for Gary Kelly today, and international fixtures calling David Healy and Gylfi Einarsson away from the camp.
Kelly was replaced at right back by Simon Walton, the first time the youngster has played there, although he started his career as a centre-half. Also at the back, Danny Pugh
Ian Moore made his debut and Marlon King also came in for his full debut, whilst in midfield Seth Johnson made his first start of the season following his cruciate ligament problems. Sean Derry also made his return from a knee operation to add much needed bite to midfield.
Upfront Rob Hulse came through a fitness test to start and he was expected to be joined by Aaron Lennon upfront, with Blackwell opting to use Moore and King on the flanks.
The Match
Leeds skipper Paul Butler arrived from Wolverhampton on a free transfer in the summer after they refused to offer him the length of contract he felt would offer him security.
Nine months on, and a strong contender for United's player of the season, it's clear he has nothing to prove to his former employers but he was the first to try and punish them. The skipper met Seth Johnson's early corner and just couldn't keep his header on target.
Wolves first effort came after six minutes with Kenny Miller trying his luck with a shot from the byline that went straight into Neil Sullivan's hands, and a minute later he volleyed one wide from the edge of the box.
Leeds were handed a chance by Wolves when keeper Michael Oakes came rushing out to clear the ball away from Rob Hulse and sent it straight to Marlon King on the half-way line. King volleyed it back towards goal but wasn't accurate enough to leave the keeper red faced as the ball just sailed over the top with Oakes back-peddling furiously.
In a half with few chances for either side, there was at least the odd moment for Aaron Lennon to cheer about. The teenager, playing upfront alongside Hulse, showed a glimpse of the problems he can cause defences when he collected a flick from Walton and set off at electrifying pace into the box.
Against other teams he might have drawn the penalty but Wolves are far too experienced to be drawn into that trap and eventually it was his cross that caused all the problems, the visitors scrambling the ball away by the skin of their teeth with Hulse and Moore putting on the pressure.
With five minutes to go to half time disaster struck and Leeds found themselves chasing the game a goal down.
Simon Walton had been forced to concede a corner to prevent Carl Cort from scoring at the back post but it was only a temporary reprieve. Naylor swung in the corner and Cort met it well in between a sea of bodies and the ball appeared to creep between Sullivan's legs and into the back of the net.
Straight from the restart United screamed for a penalty when Lennon appeared to go under when challenged by Lescott whilst chasing for a ball in the area, but the referee waived away the appeals.
Rob Hulse had been quiet up to the Wolves goal but came into life as he attempted to single-handedly give Leeds a way back in. First he fired over with a great drive and was then presented with an even better chance when Ian Moore played a ball forward for him to hit and he came within a foot of equalising with a low strike that the keeper would have been hard pushed to get to.
At half time though Leeds were a goal down and needing to find something different if they were to drag themselves back into the game.
There were no changes at half-time and within five minutes Leeds managed find the equaliser they tried so hard for at the end of the first half.
It came about after Lennon was fouled to the left of the Wolves area to win a free-kick and, after Rob Edwards was booked for dissent, the referee took the free-kick ten yards forward.
Shaun Derry and Seth Johnson stood over the ball to strike it and it was the former who eventually hit the shot, curling it over the head of Oakes and in.
The keeper looked dumbstruck and clearly could not have been ready for the free-kick, and for Derry, not known for his goalscoring exploits before his move to Elland Road, it gives him a record that now stands at one goal every two games, having only played four times so far for the Whites.
On 62 minutes United had another chance, this time created thanks to some good pressing but Lennon and King who chased a long ball out of defence by Butler. The Wolves defence couldn't control the ball and Lennon found himself with just the keeper to beat, although he had been forced out wide. He eventually managed to thread it through for King whose shot was pushed out by the keeper and cleared as far as Derry who couldn't repeat his heroics with a shot that sailed high and wide.
Kevin Blackwell made his first change with just over a quarter of an hour left and brought Gylfi Einarsson on in place of Seth Johnson, who had huffed and puffed his way around the pitch but been unable to have any great influence on proceedings.
A minute later Rob Hulse made his exit having gone down with cramp a few moments earlier. Hulse had been a major pre-match doubt too. It saw David Healy come on and he received a big round of applause when he made his entry to the field of play.
The first real chance either side had of taking the league again came when Kenny Miller hit a shot against the post for Wolves from 20-yards out. It was a major let-off for United and had the effect of spurring the visitors on. Leeds needed the same from their big names.
Wolves had a chance in injury time to steal all three points when Paul Ince won a free-kick just two yards outside the area and Naylor's shot was good with only an even better save from Sullivan prevented Glenn Hoddle's men from getting a last gasp winner.
Leeds 1 Wolves 1
Pre-Match
United boss Kevin Blackwell has made four changes to the side that drew with Nottingham Forest almost three weeks previously.
The break from fixtures has not been kind to Leeds with a bout of tonsillitis raging through the camp, accounting for Gary Kelly today, and international fixtures calling David Healy and Gylfi Einarsson away from the camp.
Kelly was replaced at right back by Simon Walton, the first time the youngster has played there, although he started his career as a centre-half. Also at the back, Danny Pugh
Ian Moore made his debut and Marlon King also came in for his full debut, whilst in midfield Seth Johnson made his first start of the season following his cruciate ligament problems. Sean Derry also made his return from a knee operation to add much needed bite to midfield.
Upfront Rob Hulse came through a fitness test to start and he was expected to be joined by Aaron Lennon upfront, with Blackwell opting to use Moore and King on the flanks.
The Match
Leeds skipper Paul Butler arrived from Wolverhampton on a free transfer in the summer after they refused to offer him the length of contract he felt would offer him security.
Nine months on, and a strong contender for United's player of the season, it's clear he has nothing to prove to his former employers but he was the first to try and punish them. The skipper met Seth Johnson's early corner and just couldn't keep his header on target.
Wolves first effort came after six minutes with Kenny Miller trying his luck with a shot from the byline that went straight into Neil Sullivan's hands, and a minute later he volleyed one wide from the edge of the box.
Leeds were handed a chance by Wolves when keeper Michael Oakes came rushing out to clear the ball away from Rob Hulse and sent it straight to Marlon King on the half-way line. King volleyed it back towards goal but wasn't accurate enough to leave the keeper red faced as the ball just sailed over the top with Oakes back-peddling furiously.
In a half with few chances for either side, there was at least the odd moment for Aaron Lennon to cheer about. The teenager, playing upfront alongside Hulse, showed a glimpse of the problems he can cause defences when he collected a flick from Walton and set off at electrifying pace into the box.
Against other teams he might have drawn the penalty but Wolves are far too experienced to be drawn into that trap and eventually it was his cross that caused all the problems, the visitors scrambling the ball away by the skin of their teeth with Hulse and Moore putting on the pressure.
With five minutes to go to half time disaster struck and Leeds found themselves chasing the game a goal down.
Simon Walton had been forced to concede a corner to prevent Carl Cort from scoring at the back post but it was only a temporary reprieve. Naylor swung in the corner and Cort met it well in between a sea of bodies and the ball appeared to creep between Sullivan's legs and into the back of the net.
Straight from the restart United screamed for a penalty when Lennon appeared to go under when challenged by Lescott whilst chasing for a ball in the area, but the referee waived away the appeals.
Rob Hulse had been quiet up to the Wolves goal but came into life as he attempted to single-handedly give Leeds a way back in. First he fired over with a great drive and was then presented with an even better chance when Ian Moore played a ball forward for him to hit and he came within a foot of equalising with a low strike that the keeper would have been hard pushed to get to.
At half time though Leeds were a goal down and needing to find something different if they were to drag themselves back into the game.
There were no changes at half-time and within five minutes Leeds managed find the equaliser they tried so hard for at the end of the first half.
It came about after Lennon was fouled to the left of the Wolves area to win a free-kick and, after Rob Edwards was booked for dissent, the referee took the free-kick ten yards forward.
Shaun Derry and Seth Johnson stood over the ball to strike it and it was the former who eventually hit the shot, curling it over the head of Oakes and in.
The keeper looked dumbstruck and clearly could not have been ready for the free-kick, and for Derry, not known for his goalscoring exploits before his move to Elland Road, it gives him a record that now stands at one goal every two games, having only played four times so far for the Whites.
On 62 minutes United had another chance, this time created thanks to some good pressing but Lennon and King who chased a long ball out of defence by Butler. The Wolves defence couldn't control the ball and Lennon found himself with just the keeper to beat, although he had been forced out wide. He eventually managed to thread it through for King whose shot was pushed out by the keeper and cleared as far as Derry who couldn't repeat his heroics with a shot that sailed high and wide.
Kevin Blackwell made his first change with just over a quarter of an hour left and brought Gylfi Einarsson on in place of Seth Johnson, who had huffed and puffed his way around the pitch but been unable to have any great influence on proceedings.
A minute later Rob Hulse made his exit having gone down with cramp a few moments earlier. Hulse had been a major pre-match doubt too. It saw David Healy come on and he received a big round of applause when he made his entry to the field of play.
The first real chance either side had of taking the league again came when Kenny Miller hit a shot against the post for Wolves from 20-yards out. It was a major let-off for United and had the effect of spurring the visitors on. Leeds needed the same from their big names.
Wolves had a chance in injury time to steal all three points when Paul Ince won a free-kick just two yards outside the area and Naylor's shot was good with only an even better save from Sullivan prevented Glenn Hoddle's men from getting a last gasp winner.