Mail 2/5/10
Charlton 1 Leeds United 0: Grayson's men face edgy last day after Naylor's late slip
By Ian Ridley
It was a day when eyes were on the game and ears trained for news elsewhere. And while the news from afar was good for Leeds, their own bulletin was shattering as a late own goal condemned them to yet another last-day drama.
With Millwall losing at Tranmere, Simon Grayson's side could have gone up with a win. Instead, they face an edgy encounter at home to Bristol Rovers on Saturday. Charlton even kept alive their slim hopes of automatic promotion.
It is six years since Leeds were relegated from the Premier League so they know about waiting. Their fate is in their hands but Leeds' fear, should they be overhauled, must be that their play-offs record is poor, having lost in them for the last two seasons.
It is possible, too, that they could yet meet yesterday's opponents, who were the livelier side - far from the Charlton Arthritic insult - even without a contribution from teenage prodigy Jonjo Shelvey, sold last week to Liverpool for an initial £1.7 million.
With the prize so close, older Leeds followers might have remembered promotion 20 years ago on another May Bank Holiday when Howard Wilkinson's side won at Bournemouth to reach the old First Division - and go on to win it the season before the Premier League began.
It prompted Leslie Silver, then chairman, to say: 'When my predecessors discovered success, it came as a surprise. We had no history. Then it became an accepted part of life. It's only when you lose that you realise how magical it was. There are kids who cannot have any recollection of Don Revie. But the magic is passed down from father to son and the hunger becomes insatiable.'
That much was seen during the 'Living the Dream' era of Peter Ridsdale and David O'Leary a decade ago when Leeds reached the Champions League semi-finals.
A Charlton programme from that time said: 'We're all Leeds admirers now. Who'd have thought Leeds, that team of bawling, bullying bruisers being transformed into the best thing since sliced bread - white bread with a yellow and blue trim, that is.'
But yesterday Leeds were largely insipid and Charlton fans taunted the visitors with 'You're not famous any more.'
It might have been different had Max Gradel taken a chance when Frazer Richardson sold Darren Randolph short with a back-pass but the keeper beat away his shot.
It took Leeds another 30 minutes to offer a real threat, when Neil Collins seemed sure to turn home Bradley Johnson's cross only for Deon Burton to clear.
At the other end, Burton went close with a hooked shot but Shane Higgs turned it aside.
MATCH FACTS
Charlton (4-4-2): Randolph; Richardson, S Sodje, Dailly, Borrowdale; Sam, Semedo, Racon (Reid 67min), Bailey; Forster (Mooney 67), Burton (A Sodje 67). Subs (not used): Elliott, Llera, Wagstaff, Solly. Booked: S Sodje, Semedo.
Leeds (4-4-2): Higgs; Hughes (Grella 84), Naylor, Collins, Lowry; Snodgrass (Beckford 64), Kilkenny, Doyle (Watt 73), Johnson; Becchio, Gradel. Subs (not used): Ankergren, Howson, McSheffrey, Bromby. Booked: Johnson, Lowry.
Referee: L Probert (Wiltshire).
Updated scores from Tranmere were accompanied by roars from Leeds fans but their side rarely looked like breaking the deadlock and ensuring a carnival atmosphere on Saturday.
They looked nervous while Charlton attacked knowing they had to win, with Lloyd Sam, Therry Racon and Jose Semedo all testing Higgs. Leeds could rarely get talented Robert Snodgrass on the ball and he was eventually replaced by 30-goal striker Jermaine Beckford, who almost turned in a Gradel cross.
'We only need one goal,' sang the Leeds fans. Instead, it came at the other end, Sam heading across goal and Richard Naylor able only to head sub Akpo Sodje's header into the roof of his own net.
Leeds fans have that hunger that an old chairman once talked of - but do their team?
Charlton 1 Leeds United 0: Grayson's men face edgy last day after Naylor's late slip
By Ian Ridley
It was a day when eyes were on the game and ears trained for news elsewhere. And while the news from afar was good for Leeds, their own bulletin was shattering as a late own goal condemned them to yet another last-day drama.
With Millwall losing at Tranmere, Simon Grayson's side could have gone up with a win. Instead, they face an edgy encounter at home to Bristol Rovers on Saturday. Charlton even kept alive their slim hopes of automatic promotion.
It is six years since Leeds were relegated from the Premier League so they know about waiting. Their fate is in their hands but Leeds' fear, should they be overhauled, must be that their play-offs record is poor, having lost in them for the last two seasons.
It is possible, too, that they could yet meet yesterday's opponents, who were the livelier side - far from the Charlton Arthritic insult - even without a contribution from teenage prodigy Jonjo Shelvey, sold last week to Liverpool for an initial £1.7 million.
With the prize so close, older Leeds followers might have remembered promotion 20 years ago on another May Bank Holiday when Howard Wilkinson's side won at Bournemouth to reach the old First Division - and go on to win it the season before the Premier League began.
It prompted Leslie Silver, then chairman, to say: 'When my predecessors discovered success, it came as a surprise. We had no history. Then it became an accepted part of life. It's only when you lose that you realise how magical it was. There are kids who cannot have any recollection of Don Revie. But the magic is passed down from father to son and the hunger becomes insatiable.'
That much was seen during the 'Living the Dream' era of Peter Ridsdale and David O'Leary a decade ago when Leeds reached the Champions League semi-finals.
A Charlton programme from that time said: 'We're all Leeds admirers now. Who'd have thought Leeds, that team of bawling, bullying bruisers being transformed into the best thing since sliced bread - white bread with a yellow and blue trim, that is.'
But yesterday Leeds were largely insipid and Charlton fans taunted the visitors with 'You're not famous any more.'
It might have been different had Max Gradel taken a chance when Frazer Richardson sold Darren Randolph short with a back-pass but the keeper beat away his shot.
It took Leeds another 30 minutes to offer a real threat, when Neil Collins seemed sure to turn home Bradley Johnson's cross only for Deon Burton to clear.
At the other end, Burton went close with a hooked shot but Shane Higgs turned it aside.
MATCH FACTS
Charlton (4-4-2): Randolph; Richardson, S Sodje, Dailly, Borrowdale; Sam, Semedo, Racon (Reid 67min), Bailey; Forster (Mooney 67), Burton (A Sodje 67). Subs (not used): Elliott, Llera, Wagstaff, Solly. Booked: S Sodje, Semedo.
Leeds (4-4-2): Higgs; Hughes (Grella 84), Naylor, Collins, Lowry; Snodgrass (Beckford 64), Kilkenny, Doyle (Watt 73), Johnson; Becchio, Gradel. Subs (not used): Ankergren, Howson, McSheffrey, Bromby. Booked: Johnson, Lowry.
Referee: L Probert (Wiltshire).
Updated scores from Tranmere were accompanied by roars from Leeds fans but their side rarely looked like breaking the deadlock and ensuring a carnival atmosphere on Saturday.
They looked nervous while Charlton attacked knowing they had to win, with Lloyd Sam, Therry Racon and Jose Semedo all testing Higgs. Leeds could rarely get talented Robert Snodgrass on the ball and he was eventually replaced by 30-goal striker Jermaine Beckford, who almost turned in a Gradel cross.
'We only need one goal,' sang the Leeds fans. Instead, it came at the other end, Sam heading across goal and Richard Naylor able only to head sub Akpo Sodje's header into the roof of his own net.
Leeds fans have that hunger that an old chairman once talked of - but do their team?