Yorkshire Evening Post 4/10/08
Posh end United's winning run
Peterborough 2 Leeds United 0
By Phil Hay
Leeds United's winning run fell short of a seventh match after a controversial goal and a rare lack of conviction helped bring about their demise at London Road.
A 47th-minute strike from George Boyd and Craig Mackail-Smith's injury-time finish saw Peterborough United through their first ever league game against Leeds, but the visitors were justified in asking questions of referee Lee Probert at the end of their second defeat of the season.
Boyd's close-range finish divided the two teams until Mackail-Smith scored at the end of a windswept contest, but a display of mediocrity from Leeds also created a slight sense of injustice.
Dominic Green appeared to handle the ball in the build-up to the opening goal, and McAllister's regret over his side's uninspired performance may have been tinged with dissatisfaction at Probert's apparent oversight. He was, however, too magnanimous to show it.
The controversy was befitting of a day which started badly for United's manager and ended with a blunt display that contrasted with every other which had helped to build the club's sequence of six successive wins.
Yesterday's loss was their first in any competition since Oldham Athletic took three points from United's opening home game of the season.
McAllister took a forthright approach to Peterborough, retaining the deliberately attacking line-up which prised a 1-0 victory from a character-testing game against Hereford last weekend, but his chosen team failed to survive the pre-match warm-up. A broken finger forced the retirement of goalkeeper David Lucas, ending abruptly his productive period as McAllister's first-choice ahead of Casper Ankergren.
Ankergren had been named among the substitutes and was hastily promoted 20 minutes before kick-off.
The change did not alter United's strategy significantly – rather than analysing the loss of Lucas with caution, McAllister instead committed three players to his attacking line – but it was an unhappy portent for the game ahead.
Joe Lewis, Peterborough's keeper, was tested with surprising infrequency, and the tepid creativity among his players led McAllister to admit that the better side had won. Many neutral observers shared his view. Not since their defeat to Oldham had United been so short of ideas in front of goal.
After losing Lucas, it was initially reassuring for McAllister to see Ankergren react sharply to the threat which presented itself inside his box after only seven minutes.
Boyd lost Rui Marques 20 yards from goal and sliced a shot towards Mackail-Smith, whose volley crashed against Ankergren's chest. Marques recovered with enough haste to reach the rebound first and bundled the ball past his own goal.
Ankergren was equal to a less potent effort from Paul Coutts in the 18th minute, smothering the shot low to his left, but although Leeds had created no more than Peterborough's attack, their first clear chance two minutes later was asking to be finished.
Jonathan Douglas' chipped pass gave Luciano Becchio the space to sprint away from the home defence and draw Lewis away from his line, but the striker's half-hearted lob bounced across Lewis' goal and wide of the post.
The opening was followed immediately by a strike from Boyd which forced Ankergren into another good save but, in between their chances, Peterborough's defence looked vulnerable. The poor quality of United's final ball was all that stood between the visitors and the opening goal inside the first half-hour.
Aidan White pulled a left-foot finish far beyond Lewis' goal after Fabian Delph found his run into the box on 29 minutes, a potential sign that Darren Ferguson's back line might be about to crack. But Peterborough's visits to Ankergren's goal were dangerous enough to keep the Dane occupied.
Shaun Batt caused concern on United's goal line when his cross forced both Marques and Paul Telfer to intervene and divert the ball over the crossbar, and Mackail-Smith's failure to connect properly with Boyd's lovely through-ball eight minutes before the break passed up the best chance of the half. A period of limited entertainment should still have produced a goal.
For Ferguson, the consolation offered to him from the stop-start contest – a problem related in part to Probert's picky officiating – was that Peterborough had created the better chances, in spite of United's control of possession. Far more satisfying was the opening goal which came his side's way in the 47th minute.
Russell Martin fought his way beyond White on the right wing and dipped a cross to the far post where Green seemed to control the dropping ball with his arm. Probert declined to penalise the midfielder, whose shot across goal was turned into the net by the sliding Boyd.
The reaction of United's players suggested Green's offence had been clear, and the visitors were still clearing their heads when Mackail-Smith burst away from Telfer and forced Ankergren into a superb parry on the edge of Leeds' box.
The pressure built steadily and Martin's cross flashed inches beyond the head of Mackail-Smith, who would have had an empty net to attack, but Delph stung Lewis' palms from long range as United fought to compose themselves.
McAllister sensed a swing in momentum, introducing Robert Snodgrass and then Neil Kilkenny, but United's lack of cohesion up front prevented the substitutions from effecting the outcome.
Though Becchio saw a late shot disallowed for offside, Mackail-Smith and Batt had glaring opportunities to increase Peterborough's lead before Mackail-Smith made the most of a chaotic injury-time scramble inside Ankergren's box which summed up United's day.
FIRST AWAY DEFEAT
United suffer first away defeat of season...
PETERBOROUGH 2 (Boyd 47, Mackail-Smith 90+2), UNITED 0
Leeds United boss Gary McAllister was forced into making a change to his starting line-up less than 25 minutes before kick-off.
Named goalkeeper Dave Lucas broke his finger during the pre-match warm-up, and Casper Ankergren was drafted in as a late replacement. Ben Parker stepped up to the bench.
It was Peterborough goalkeeper Joe Lewis who was called into action first, though, when Luciano Becchio sent a shot wide of the mark after five minutes. It was a positive approach by Leeds, who operated a 4-3-3 system with Andy Robinson playing wide right.
But Ankergren was called upon to make a terrific early save from Craig Mackail-Smith after George Boyd found his strike partner in space with a miscued pass.
United carved out the next opening when Becchio headed a Jonathan Douglas free-kick over the bar on 10 minutes. Jermaine Beckford also lifted a shot over the top.
Ankergren was called into action again on 17 minutes to deny Paul Coutts with a low shot, but Leeds had enjoyed superior possession during the opening quarter of the game.
And Becchio went close again moments later, lifting a shot narrowly wide, after good work by Douglas.
Peterborough's biggest threat came via Boyd, who looked lively, and he made Ankregren work again on 22 minutes with a low drive. Boyd also played in Mackail-Smith with a good ball, and Ankergren reacted well again.
At the other end, Smith had to come off his line quickly to deny Beckford after Andy Robinsondelivered the most incisive pass so far. And, as United attacked again following the goal kick, Beckford was calling for a penalty after he went down in the box while looking to get on the end of anAidy White cross.
It took some good defending from Rui Marques and Paul Telfer to clear after Shaun Batt drew Ankergren and delivered a low cross into the six-yard box. Ankergen also made another terrific block to deny Mackail-Smith with his legs when the home striker had the goal at his mercy.
Leeds ended the opening period in the ascendancy again in terms of playing possession football, but the score remained goalless.
That all changed at the start of the second half when Peterborough took the lead with a highly controversial goal 90 seconds after the re-start. Boyd was the goalscorer, from close range, but United were rightly furious after Dominic Green appeared to handle the ball before supplying the cross.
The home side had another opportunity moments later, but Ankergren reacted well to deny Mackail-Smith after the striker escaped the clutches of Telfer.
While Douglas fired wide for United moments after the goal, Mackail-Smith came within a whisker of adding a second after a good cross from Russell Martin.
Fabian Delph forced Smith into making a good save, though, when United pressed again, and on 56 minutes McAllister introduced Robert Snodgrass in place of Howson to provide added width on the right.
United were pressing for a leveller and, after Douglas won a free-kick on the edge of the box, Snodgrass saw his free-kick blocked.
Leeds were enjoying all the ball, but up to Smith fumbling a Neil Kilkenny shot on 72 minutes, the visiting goalkeeper had remained untroubled.
Peterborough were largely on the back-foot, but Ankergren still had to save well to deny Boyd with a glancing header.
United's response was immediate and Robinson saw his goal-bound shot deflected wide of the mark.
It finally looked as though United had got back in terms in the 82nd minute when Becchio converted after a Kilkenny shot was parried by Smith - but the goal was ruled out due to an offiside flag
United's luck was perhaps summed up on 86 minutes when Robinson was unable to get a shot in on goal after a carefully contstructed break.
Four minutes of stoppage time should have given United increased hope, but it was the home side who sealed matters with a bizarre goal in the 92nd minute. Boyd was denied and, while the United defence appeared to stop, Mackail-Smith wasted no time in seizing to slam the ball home to seal the points.
The result saw the six-game winning streak come to an end in frustrating fashion at London Road. It was United's first away defeat of the season.