Yorkshire Post 24/4/10
Leeds United 4 MK Dons 1: Becchio, Gradel and Beckford on target for Whites
By Richard Sutcliffe at Elland Road
AT the end of a week when the Billy Bremner statue that proudly sits outside Elland Road were given a timely makeover, Leeds United's own promotion hopes benefited from a much-needed polish.
The tribute to United's greatest captain had been in need of a good sprucing up for some time with Mother Nature having washed away much of its initial colour and vibrancy. A similar thing could have been said on Saturday morning about Bremner's former club following a largely disappointing 2010 that has seen what once appeared to be an unassailable lead at the top of League One gradually eroded away.
Come 5pm, however, Leeds' hopes of escaping the third tier had, just like the statue outside the stadium, taken on an altogether healthier glow thanks to the manner in which managerless Milton Keynes Dons had been dispatched in comprehensive style.
The winning margin was three goals, but it could – and probably should – have been much more with Simon Grayson's side rediscovering the attacking verve that had characterised their efforts during the first half of the season.
The United manager had rung the changes to send out a starting XI that dripped with attacking intent as speedy winger Sanchez Watt was brought in alongside Bradley Johnson.
With defensive midfielder Michael Doyle dropped to the bench along with the out-of-form Jonny Howson, the clear intention was to take the game to the visitors.
It proved an astute move with the energetic home side taking such a firm control of proceedings that the Dons lost not only the game but also their discipline as Mathias Doumbe, David McCracken and Peter Leven were all sent off.
The dismissal of Doumbe for a high challenge on Watt just before the break was harsh, but there could be few complaints about the two red cards that followed in the final four minutes.
By the time of the late dismissals, the game was already effectively over with Leeds having built a 3-1 lead.
Grayson's men had gone ahead on 13 minutes when Watt, making his first start after three previous appearances from the bench, dispossessed Doumbe on the United left.
The Arsenal teenager then cleverly rolled a pass for Luciano Becchio to chase and drill a shot beyond Willy Gueret. Milton Keynes hit back just six minutes later when slack marking by the Leeds defence allowed Dean Lewington to plant a shot past Shane Higgs after being picked out by Lever's free-kick.After the previous week's first-half defensive collapse at Gillingham, there were more than a few anxious expressions in the 25,964 crowd at seeing their side pegged back, only for Max Gradel to restore the home side's advantage.
Watt was again the creator with a determined challenge on the edge of the area after Neil Kilkenny had intercepted a stray pass from Leven. The ball subsequently ran from Watt to Gradel, who finished coolly. Then came the game's decisive moment as hapless referee Michael Oliver harshly sent off Doumbe to leave the Dons facing an uphill battle in the second half.
Leeds continued to dominate after the break but it took the introduction of Jermaine Beckford from the bench 14 minutes from time to bring the vital third goal, the top scorer firing in from close range after being picked out by Johnson. Beckford then added a second, taking his season's tally to 30 in the process, from the penalty spot after being hauled down by McCracken – an offence that earned the defender a straight red card.
This time Oliver got it right, just as he did in stoppage time when Lever was guilty of an atrocious challenge on Neill Collins that saw the midfield player become the third visiting player to receive his marching orders.
Seconds later, the final whistle blew and there was no mistaking the delight on the faces of the Grayson's men as they took the deserved acclaim of the United fans.
Watt, so impressive on his full debut, typified the feeling within the Leeds camp that automatic promotion is now within touching distance.
The 19-year-old said: "It would be great to help Leeds go up as it would mean me being able to go off on holiday with a big smile.
"I will also then be able to go back to Arsenal for pre-season with a lot more confidence from achieving something.
"There is still a lot of work to do and a lot is riding on the last two games as we have to go out and win them.
"But I personally can't wait for the Charlton game (this Saturday). I am from London and this is a big game so I want to get a lot of my people to the game."
MATCH FOCUS
Hero: Max Gradel
Just pipped Sanchez Watt as the United hero with an energetic display that saw the January signing from Leicester put the visiting defence under intense pressure throughout. Great link-up play with Watt.
Villain: Michael Oliver
A hapless performance from a referee who, on this evidence, will be lucky to officiate at another game between now and the end of the season. Left both sets of players scratching their heads in bemusement.
Key moment
43rd minute: Matthias Doumbe may have caught Sanchez Watt slightly high but it was not a red card offence.
Ref watch
Michael Oliver: Wrongly dismissed Doumbe and turned down penalty when Gradel was fouled – two of his 'lowlights.'
Verdict
MK Dons are clearly a team for whom the summer cannot come soon enough but Leeds still deserve credit for blowing the visitors away in the second half.
Next game
Charlton Athletic v Leeds United, Saturday, May 1, League One.
Quote of the day
Footballers are entertainers so we should enjoy the spotlight and be confident. It is our job to show people what we can do.– Sanchez Watt gives an insight into his footballing beliefs.
Yorkshire Evening Post 26/4/10
Goal fest a plus point for Leeds
By Phil Hay
Leeds United 4 MK Dons 1
Gambling Leeds United's promotion on the mere margin of goal difference would not be Simon Grayson's idea of fun, despite his appreciation of the institution he manages.
"We never do things the easy way here," he said last week, acknowledging the never-ending trials of a complex football club. His is a refrain often heard in Leeds, the grumble of a city which should have known that promotion by Easter was as whimsical as it sounded far back in August.
If fate deals United a favourable hand in London next weekend, their elevation to the Championship will be ratified with one game to spare.
Grayson is not alone in sensing that Leeds will need their 46th and final match to be certain, and perhaps the factor of goal difference too.
"It could be vital," he admitted openly after a 4-1 defeat of MK Dons, aware that league tables are rarely so tight with two fixtures to play.
Should his prediction come to pass, Leeds will count the value of a rousing victory bizarrely constructed with the help of Michael OIiver, Saturday's embattled match official, and a club in MK Dons whose disarray is every bit as deep-seated as reports from the south suggest.
The result defended Leeds' one-point lead over Millwall, the team who lie second in what is now a three-horse sprint towards automatic promotion.
Charlton might influence that race but they can surely not win it, five points back with a game at home to Leeds to come.With three more points accrued, it mattered greatly to Grayson that the scoreline against MK Dons restored parity with Millwall's goal difference, addressing another possible trip wire.
Still, he was only just satisfied, and the media corps at Elland Road had the strange experience of listening to a manager gently bemoaning a 4-1 victory.
The criticism was not entirely irrational. MK Dons played for 42 minutes with 10 players, finished normal time with nine and lost another to their third red card of the afternoon in the additional time allowed by Oliver.
Grayson, therefore, saw their concession of four goals as damage limitation, strange though it sounded.
The toll on MK Dons was a high one nevertheless. Karl Robinson, their assistant manager who has the unenviable task of acting up in the absence of Paul Ince, had seven senior players fit enough to train on Thursday. At full-time on Saturday, he estimated that a grand total of four would be available for their game at Brighton later this week.
"If you don't smile you'll cry," Robinson said. He wasn't joking.
Ince served the second game of a five-match touchline suspension on Saturday, though he was nowhere to be seen at Elland Road. Having agreed to stand down as manager when the season finishes, his tenure has ended to all intents and purposes, leaving Robinson to do what he can with a paper-thin squad. It is a blessing for the club that their last two matches are immaterial.
Leeds benefited from two cheap goals gifted to them but they were more indebted to Oliver for sending off Mathias Doumbe late in the first half, issuing a straight red card for his foul on Sanchez Watt near the halfway line.
There was little in the game before his dismissal; MK Dons were never in it afterwards, bailing water in a futile attempt to stay afloat.By the final whistle, Jermaine Beckford had scored twice in six minutes and David McCracken and Peter Leven sat alongside Doumbe in the visiting dressing room, McCracken sent off for a professional foul on Beckford and Leven banished for a more unprofessional foul on Neill Collins.Elland Road delighted in the drama, free from the tension which seemed likely to impinge on the game.
For much of the first half, a pensive mood was evident but United finished it with a 2-1 lead and a numerical advantage. Grayson's players dealt ruthlessly with MK Dons' errors, the source of better chances than anything Leeds could conjure themselves, and Doumbe's punishment allowed Leeds to play freely after half-time, more freely than Grayson could have expected.
For Doumbe, the day started badly and descended downhill at pace. He was culpable for MK Dons' first concession in the 13th minute, carelessly losing possession to Watt and watching helplessly as Luciano Becchio met the winger's delicate through ball with a slick finish. McCracken appealed in vain for an offside flag which failed to rise.
Watt's involvement in the opening goal was the first act of a fine full debut, justifying Grayson's feeling that Saturday was the perfect time to make full use of his teenage loanee from Arsenal.
It was a risky decision on Grayson's part and not a little brave, one of three alterations made to the team beaten senseless by Gillingham. Bradley Johnson and Ben Parker also joined the throng as their appearances for United's reserves in midweek suggested they might.
The scale of the occasion at Elland Road was never likely to hinder Watt; his debut for Arsenal was made earlier this season in front of a crowd of 56,000 at the Emirates Stadium. He needed no encouragement to involve himself in the contest, and his bubbly performance was only cut short by a series of minor injuries that eventually persuaded Grayson to replace him with the game effectively won. He left the field with two assists to his name.
His second came in the 33rd minute when Neil Kilkenny anticipated an irresponsible pass from Leven and drove towards the edge of MK Dons' box. Dean Lewington met him with a firm tackle but Watt forced the ball through to Max Gradel who stabbed a shot under the body of Willy Gueret, the visitors' erratic goalkeeper.
The goal re-established United's lead after Lewington himself had found the net six minutes after Becchio's strike.
The left-back ran clear of Johnson and met a free-kick from Leven six yards from goal, slipping a clinical shot to the right of Shane Higgs.
Returning the ball to the halfway line was Higgs’ only meaningful task of the game, and his afternoon became quieter by the minute.
Doumbe’s dismissal tied the hands of Robinson’s remaining players, though the red card he received was dubious. Oliver almost hinted at his own error when he immediately declined to award a penalty for a foul on Gradel by Gueret, who put his goal in peril by making hard work of sweeping up a loose ball. The Frenchman redeemed himself within seconds when his legs repelled a shot from Robert Snodgrass who slipped through a gap in Robinson’s defence.
For the next half-hour, Leeds toyed with their visitors who fought to a standstill in the face of a siege.
Grayson flexed his muscles by using Beckford as a substitute in the 75 minute and the straw broke MK Dons’ back, preceding the most eventful period of football that Elland Road has seen this season.
Beckford scored United’s third goal with a flying volley at the end of Johnson’s cross and he converted a penalty five minutes from time after leaving McCracken in his slipstream.
The defender could not resist the temptation to pull on Beckford’s shirt and he paid with a red card. Beckford forced the ball to Gueret’s right, claiming his 30th goal of the season.
Not content with two red cards, Oliver found good reason to show another when Leven lunged for the ball and caught Neill Collins on the shin.
A club can tell when their luck is out and MK Dons are patently in arrears. United might finally feel that theirs is in, though Grayson will be loath to push it as far as goal difference.
Leeds United 4 MK Dons 1: Becchio, Gradel and Beckford on target for Whites
By Richard Sutcliffe at Elland Road
AT the end of a week when the Billy Bremner statue that proudly sits outside Elland Road were given a timely makeover, Leeds United's own promotion hopes benefited from a much-needed polish.
The tribute to United's greatest captain had been in need of a good sprucing up for some time with Mother Nature having washed away much of its initial colour and vibrancy. A similar thing could have been said on Saturday morning about Bremner's former club following a largely disappointing 2010 that has seen what once appeared to be an unassailable lead at the top of League One gradually eroded away.
Come 5pm, however, Leeds' hopes of escaping the third tier had, just like the statue outside the stadium, taken on an altogether healthier glow thanks to the manner in which managerless Milton Keynes Dons had been dispatched in comprehensive style.
The winning margin was three goals, but it could – and probably should – have been much more with Simon Grayson's side rediscovering the attacking verve that had characterised their efforts during the first half of the season.
The United manager had rung the changes to send out a starting XI that dripped with attacking intent as speedy winger Sanchez Watt was brought in alongside Bradley Johnson.
With defensive midfielder Michael Doyle dropped to the bench along with the out-of-form Jonny Howson, the clear intention was to take the game to the visitors.
It proved an astute move with the energetic home side taking such a firm control of proceedings that the Dons lost not only the game but also their discipline as Mathias Doumbe, David McCracken and Peter Leven were all sent off.
The dismissal of Doumbe for a high challenge on Watt just before the break was harsh, but there could be few complaints about the two red cards that followed in the final four minutes.
By the time of the late dismissals, the game was already effectively over with Leeds having built a 3-1 lead.
Grayson's men had gone ahead on 13 minutes when Watt, making his first start after three previous appearances from the bench, dispossessed Doumbe on the United left.
The Arsenal teenager then cleverly rolled a pass for Luciano Becchio to chase and drill a shot beyond Willy Gueret. Milton Keynes hit back just six minutes later when slack marking by the Leeds defence allowed Dean Lewington to plant a shot past Shane Higgs after being picked out by Lever's free-kick.After the previous week's first-half defensive collapse at Gillingham, there were more than a few anxious expressions in the 25,964 crowd at seeing their side pegged back, only for Max Gradel to restore the home side's advantage.
Watt was again the creator with a determined challenge on the edge of the area after Neil Kilkenny had intercepted a stray pass from Leven. The ball subsequently ran from Watt to Gradel, who finished coolly. Then came the game's decisive moment as hapless referee Michael Oliver harshly sent off Doumbe to leave the Dons facing an uphill battle in the second half.
Leeds continued to dominate after the break but it took the introduction of Jermaine Beckford from the bench 14 minutes from time to bring the vital third goal, the top scorer firing in from close range after being picked out by Johnson. Beckford then added a second, taking his season's tally to 30 in the process, from the penalty spot after being hauled down by McCracken – an offence that earned the defender a straight red card.
This time Oliver got it right, just as he did in stoppage time when Lever was guilty of an atrocious challenge on Neill Collins that saw the midfield player become the third visiting player to receive his marching orders.
Seconds later, the final whistle blew and there was no mistaking the delight on the faces of the Grayson's men as they took the deserved acclaim of the United fans.
Watt, so impressive on his full debut, typified the feeling within the Leeds camp that automatic promotion is now within touching distance.
The 19-year-old said: "It would be great to help Leeds go up as it would mean me being able to go off on holiday with a big smile.
"I will also then be able to go back to Arsenal for pre-season with a lot more confidence from achieving something.
"There is still a lot of work to do and a lot is riding on the last two games as we have to go out and win them.
"But I personally can't wait for the Charlton game (this Saturday). I am from London and this is a big game so I want to get a lot of my people to the game."
MATCH FOCUS
Hero: Max Gradel
Just pipped Sanchez Watt as the United hero with an energetic display that saw the January signing from Leicester put the visiting defence under intense pressure throughout. Great link-up play with Watt.
Villain: Michael Oliver
A hapless performance from a referee who, on this evidence, will be lucky to officiate at another game between now and the end of the season. Left both sets of players scratching their heads in bemusement.
Key moment
43rd minute: Matthias Doumbe may have caught Sanchez Watt slightly high but it was not a red card offence.
Ref watch
Michael Oliver: Wrongly dismissed Doumbe and turned down penalty when Gradel was fouled – two of his 'lowlights.'
Verdict
MK Dons are clearly a team for whom the summer cannot come soon enough but Leeds still deserve credit for blowing the visitors away in the second half.
Next game
Charlton Athletic v Leeds United, Saturday, May 1, League One.
Quote of the day
Footballers are entertainers so we should enjoy the spotlight and be confident. It is our job to show people what we can do.– Sanchez Watt gives an insight into his footballing beliefs.
Yorkshire Evening Post 26/4/10
Goal fest a plus point for Leeds
By Phil Hay
Leeds United 4 MK Dons 1
Gambling Leeds United's promotion on the mere margin of goal difference would not be Simon Grayson's idea of fun, despite his appreciation of the institution he manages.
"We never do things the easy way here," he said last week, acknowledging the never-ending trials of a complex football club. His is a refrain often heard in Leeds, the grumble of a city which should have known that promotion by Easter was as whimsical as it sounded far back in August.
If fate deals United a favourable hand in London next weekend, their elevation to the Championship will be ratified with one game to spare.
Grayson is not alone in sensing that Leeds will need their 46th and final match to be certain, and perhaps the factor of goal difference too.
"It could be vital," he admitted openly after a 4-1 defeat of MK Dons, aware that league tables are rarely so tight with two fixtures to play.
Should his prediction come to pass, Leeds will count the value of a rousing victory bizarrely constructed with the help of Michael OIiver, Saturday's embattled match official, and a club in MK Dons whose disarray is every bit as deep-seated as reports from the south suggest.
The result defended Leeds' one-point lead over Millwall, the team who lie second in what is now a three-horse sprint towards automatic promotion.
Charlton might influence that race but they can surely not win it, five points back with a game at home to Leeds to come.With three more points accrued, it mattered greatly to Grayson that the scoreline against MK Dons restored parity with Millwall's goal difference, addressing another possible trip wire.
Still, he was only just satisfied, and the media corps at Elland Road had the strange experience of listening to a manager gently bemoaning a 4-1 victory.
The criticism was not entirely irrational. MK Dons played for 42 minutes with 10 players, finished normal time with nine and lost another to their third red card of the afternoon in the additional time allowed by Oliver.
Grayson, therefore, saw their concession of four goals as damage limitation, strange though it sounded.
The toll on MK Dons was a high one nevertheless. Karl Robinson, their assistant manager who has the unenviable task of acting up in the absence of Paul Ince, had seven senior players fit enough to train on Thursday. At full-time on Saturday, he estimated that a grand total of four would be available for their game at Brighton later this week.
"If you don't smile you'll cry," Robinson said. He wasn't joking.
Ince served the second game of a five-match touchline suspension on Saturday, though he was nowhere to be seen at Elland Road. Having agreed to stand down as manager when the season finishes, his tenure has ended to all intents and purposes, leaving Robinson to do what he can with a paper-thin squad. It is a blessing for the club that their last two matches are immaterial.
Leeds benefited from two cheap goals gifted to them but they were more indebted to Oliver for sending off Mathias Doumbe late in the first half, issuing a straight red card for his foul on Sanchez Watt near the halfway line.
There was little in the game before his dismissal; MK Dons were never in it afterwards, bailing water in a futile attempt to stay afloat.By the final whistle, Jermaine Beckford had scored twice in six minutes and David McCracken and Peter Leven sat alongside Doumbe in the visiting dressing room, McCracken sent off for a professional foul on Beckford and Leven banished for a more unprofessional foul on Neill Collins.Elland Road delighted in the drama, free from the tension which seemed likely to impinge on the game.
For much of the first half, a pensive mood was evident but United finished it with a 2-1 lead and a numerical advantage. Grayson's players dealt ruthlessly with MK Dons' errors, the source of better chances than anything Leeds could conjure themselves, and Doumbe's punishment allowed Leeds to play freely after half-time, more freely than Grayson could have expected.
For Doumbe, the day started badly and descended downhill at pace. He was culpable for MK Dons' first concession in the 13th minute, carelessly losing possession to Watt and watching helplessly as Luciano Becchio met the winger's delicate through ball with a slick finish. McCracken appealed in vain for an offside flag which failed to rise.
Watt's involvement in the opening goal was the first act of a fine full debut, justifying Grayson's feeling that Saturday was the perfect time to make full use of his teenage loanee from Arsenal.
It was a risky decision on Grayson's part and not a little brave, one of three alterations made to the team beaten senseless by Gillingham. Bradley Johnson and Ben Parker also joined the throng as their appearances for United's reserves in midweek suggested they might.
The scale of the occasion at Elland Road was never likely to hinder Watt; his debut for Arsenal was made earlier this season in front of a crowd of 56,000 at the Emirates Stadium. He needed no encouragement to involve himself in the contest, and his bubbly performance was only cut short by a series of minor injuries that eventually persuaded Grayson to replace him with the game effectively won. He left the field with two assists to his name.
His second came in the 33rd minute when Neil Kilkenny anticipated an irresponsible pass from Leven and drove towards the edge of MK Dons' box. Dean Lewington met him with a firm tackle but Watt forced the ball through to Max Gradel who stabbed a shot under the body of Willy Gueret, the visitors' erratic goalkeeper.
The goal re-established United's lead after Lewington himself had found the net six minutes after Becchio's strike.
The left-back ran clear of Johnson and met a free-kick from Leven six yards from goal, slipping a clinical shot to the right of Shane Higgs.
Returning the ball to the halfway line was Higgs’ only meaningful task of the game, and his afternoon became quieter by the minute.
Doumbe’s dismissal tied the hands of Robinson’s remaining players, though the red card he received was dubious. Oliver almost hinted at his own error when he immediately declined to award a penalty for a foul on Gradel by Gueret, who put his goal in peril by making hard work of sweeping up a loose ball. The Frenchman redeemed himself within seconds when his legs repelled a shot from Robert Snodgrass who slipped through a gap in Robinson’s defence.
For the next half-hour, Leeds toyed with their visitors who fought to a standstill in the face of a siege.
Grayson flexed his muscles by using Beckford as a substitute in the 75 minute and the straw broke MK Dons’ back, preceding the most eventful period of football that Elland Road has seen this season.
Beckford scored United’s third goal with a flying volley at the end of Johnson’s cross and he converted a penalty five minutes from time after leaving McCracken in his slipstream.
The defender could not resist the temptation to pull on Beckford’s shirt and he paid with a red card. Beckford forced the ball to Gueret’s right, claiming his 30th goal of the season.
Not content with two red cards, Oliver found good reason to show another when Leven lunged for the ball and caught Neill Collins on the shin.
A club can tell when their luck is out and MK Dons are patently in arrears. United might finally feel that theirs is in, though Grayson will be loath to push it as far as goal difference.