Ricketts' Spark: United 2 Oldham 0
leedsunited.com
Pre-Match
United boss Kevin Blackwell promised he would be making changes for this Carling Cup game and he delivered on
that promise, with two players on for their debuts and eight changes to the side that beat Wolves in all.
Rui Marques came in for his first start, not at centre-half as had been expected, but replacing Gary Kelly at right back. The Portuguese defender had played only 90 minutes for the reserves previously. The other full home debut was given to Jonathon Douglas, the midfielder signed on loan from Blackburn for the season. He came on to good effect against Wolves at the weekend and was rewarded with his first start.
There was a change in goal too where Neil Sullivan came in for Ian Bennett, whilst other changes at the back included Matthew Kilgallon in for the rested Paul Butler and Stephen Crainey played made his first start of the season at left-back.
Asides from Douglas in midfield, there was one further change with Eddie Lewis getting a rest and Danny Pugh made his first start this season.
Upfront Michael Ricketts and David Healy both returned to form a little and large partnership.
The Match
Oldham were the first to show, and came close twice inside the opening 15 minutes.
The first came from a free-kick when Douglas fouled Paul Warne 25-yards out. Andy Liddell, who Kevin Blackwell knows well from their time together at Sheffield United, brushed the side netting with the free kick but Sullivan had let it go wide.
Both sides were showing plenty of huff and puff but there was shortage of clear cut chances until the visitors won a corner on 14 minutes. The corner was swung in and Guy Branston was the man making the run into the area and he met it with a firm header down that was blocked on the line by Frazer Richardson.
It was a let-off for United having failed to track Branston's run but Richardson was placed just where his manager would have wanted him to be.
United's first real shot on goal came on 17 minutes when Ricketts played the ball back across the edge of the area where Healy met it with a right footed shot that drew a great save out of Chris Day in the Oldham goal. It was a first class strike but the save was just as good.
Leeds began to settle down and pass the ball around more and the chances came.
Richardson crossed to Einarsson and the Icelandic midfielder got hold of the ball but shot well over from 20-yards in what was a real chance.
Leeds did not have long to wait for the opening goal though, as Michael Ricketts doubled his goal tally for the club - his first goal having also been scored in the Carling Cup.
Ricketts chased down the defender whose header was poor, allowing Ricketts to pick the ball up on the right hand side of the area and he shot low and hard straight into the far botton left corner of the goal with little hestitation. Cue the now familiar chant of "Ricketts for England." The striker took it well but Oldham manager Ronnie Moore will have been disappointed with his defence.
Four minutes later and it was 2-0 and Leeds were cruising.
David Healy was the provider as he backheeled the ball back to Richardson and the winger smashed home the low shot home in similar style to Rickett's opener, again the ball finding the far corner of the net.
There was concern for United when Douglas was involved in a clash with Warne and the loan signing took a bang which saw him disappear down the tunnel to get a wound on his leg stitched up. Within minutes of Douglas having disappeared for treatment, Gylfi Einarsson took a knock and went down inside his own area for a few minutes. Fortunately he was fine to continue.
Michael Ricketts may have his critics, but there was no doubt his heart was in the right place for this game. Not only was he working hard upfront and trying to put Healy away as often as possible, but he was also getting back and doing plenty of valuable defensive work.
When half time came Leeds were in the rare position of having the game more or less sown up, bar any second half disasters.
Leeds picked up in the second half where they left off at the end of the first, attacking the Oldham penalty area and putting the visiting defence under some heavy pressure.
Richardson put in two dangerous crosses into the heart of the penalty area, one which Ricketts nearly got hold of and another that was just too long for Healy to punish Oldham further with. Einarsson showed his strength in the air again when he met Danny Pugh's corner seven minutes into the half, the ball just landing on top of the netting. Ritchie Wellens tried to reduce the arrears for Oldham with a long range strike that fizzed past Sullivan's left hand post, but there was no real danger in the shot.
Jonathan Douglas could have had a goal on his full debut but his shot from 18-yards flew straight into Chris Day's chest. Had it gone in it might have given the game a bit more life at a time when it appeared both sides were just going through the motions a bit. Leeds came desperately close to making it 3-0 when a chance fell for Healy on 70 minutes. Crainey's ball into the area was headed on by Einarsson and the ball went loose inside the area for Healy to latch onto, but the striker probably took too long to get his shot away and Oldham centre-half Gareth Owen managed to get back and block the shot.
Healy was having a frustrating night on his return to the side, he couldn't quite control a ball from Pugh that found him free inside the area and then later when Einarsson headed a cross from the corner on to the Northern Ireland international he sliced the chance wide but was offside anyway. He went off with ten minutes remaining, replaced by Robbie Blake. Leeds had done more than enough to secure their passage through to the next round, in the end it was comfortable for them but another confidence boost nonetheless.
leedsunited.com
Pre-Match
United boss Kevin Blackwell promised he would be making changes for this Carling Cup game and he delivered on
that promise, with two players on for their debuts and eight changes to the side that beat Wolves in all.Rui Marques came in for his first start, not at centre-half as had been expected, but replacing Gary Kelly at right back. The Portuguese defender had played only 90 minutes for the reserves previously. The other full home debut was given to Jonathon Douglas, the midfielder signed on loan from Blackburn for the season. He came on to good effect against Wolves at the weekend and was rewarded with his first start.
There was a change in goal too where Neil Sullivan came in for Ian Bennett, whilst other changes at the back included Matthew Kilgallon in for the rested Paul Butler and Stephen Crainey played made his first start of the season at left-back.
Asides from Douglas in midfield, there was one further change with Eddie Lewis getting a rest and Danny Pugh made his first start this season.
Upfront Michael Ricketts and David Healy both returned to form a little and large partnership.
The Match
Oldham were the first to show, and came close twice inside the opening 15 minutes.
The first came from a free-kick when Douglas fouled Paul Warne 25-yards out. Andy Liddell, who Kevin Blackwell knows well from their time together at Sheffield United, brushed the side netting with the free kick but Sullivan had let it go wide.
Both sides were showing plenty of huff and puff but there was shortage of clear cut chances until the visitors won a corner on 14 minutes. The corner was swung in and Guy Branston was the man making the run into the area and he met it with a firm header down that was blocked on the line by Frazer Richardson.
It was a let-off for United having failed to track Branston's run but Richardson was placed just where his manager would have wanted him to be.
United's first real shot on goal came on 17 minutes when Ricketts played the ball back across the edge of the area where Healy met it with a right footed shot that drew a great save out of Chris Day in the Oldham goal. It was a first class strike but the save was just as good.
Leeds began to settle down and pass the ball around more and the chances came.
Richardson crossed to Einarsson and the Icelandic midfielder got hold of the ball but shot well over from 20-yards in what was a real chance.
Leeds did not have long to wait for the opening goal though, as Michael Ricketts doubled his goal tally for the club - his first goal having also been scored in the Carling Cup.
Ricketts chased down the defender whose header was poor, allowing Ricketts to pick the ball up on the right hand side of the area and he shot low and hard straight into the far botton left corner of the goal with little hestitation. Cue the now familiar chant of "Ricketts for England." The striker took it well but Oldham manager Ronnie Moore will have been disappointed with his defence.
Four minutes later and it was 2-0 and Leeds were cruising.
David Healy was the provider as he backheeled the ball back to Richardson and the winger smashed home the low shot home in similar style to Rickett's opener, again the ball finding the far corner of the net.
There was concern for United when Douglas was involved in a clash with Warne and the loan signing took a bang which saw him disappear down the tunnel to get a wound on his leg stitched up. Within minutes of Douglas having disappeared for treatment, Gylfi Einarsson took a knock and went down inside his own area for a few minutes. Fortunately he was fine to continue.
Michael Ricketts may have his critics, but there was no doubt his heart was in the right place for this game. Not only was he working hard upfront and trying to put Healy away as often as possible, but he was also getting back and doing plenty of valuable defensive work.
When half time came Leeds were in the rare position of having the game more or less sown up, bar any second half disasters.
Leeds picked up in the second half where they left off at the end of the first, attacking the Oldham penalty area and putting the visiting defence under some heavy pressure.
Richardson put in two dangerous crosses into the heart of the penalty area, one which Ricketts nearly got hold of and another that was just too long for Healy to punish Oldham further with. Einarsson showed his strength in the air again when he met Danny Pugh's corner seven minutes into the half, the ball just landing on top of the netting. Ritchie Wellens tried to reduce the arrears for Oldham with a long range strike that fizzed past Sullivan's left hand post, but there was no real danger in the shot.
Jonathan Douglas could have had a goal on his full debut but his shot from 18-yards flew straight into Chris Day's chest. Had it gone in it might have given the game a bit more life at a time when it appeared both sides were just going through the motions a bit. Leeds came desperately close to making it 3-0 when a chance fell for Healy on 70 minutes. Crainey's ball into the area was headed on by Einarsson and the ball went loose inside the area for Healy to latch onto, but the striker probably took too long to get his shot away and Oldham centre-half Gareth Owen managed to get back and block the shot.
Healy was having a frustrating night on his return to the side, he couldn't quite control a ball from Pugh that found him free inside the area and then later when Einarsson headed a cross from the corner on to the Northern Ireland international he sliced the chance wide but was offside anyway. He went off with ten minutes remaining, replaced by Robbie Blake. Leeds had done more than enough to secure their passage through to the next round, in the end it was comfortable for them but another confidence boost nonetheless.