leedsunited.com 30/10/10
HOWSON HAT-TRICK SEALS AWAY SUCCESS
SCUNTHORPE 1 (Byrne 27), LEEDS UNITED 4 (Gradel 8, Howson 60, 73, 75)
United manager Simon Grayson handed a debut
to loan man Andy O'Brien and recalled Neil Kilkenny and Max Gradel for the trip to Scunthorpe United.
And it was O'Brien who was called upon inside the first minute with his first touch in a Leeds shirt being to deny a certain goal after Alex Bruce got a touch on a ball over the top.
O'Brien looked assured in the matter of a few minutes after he made another important challenge on a goalbound Charlie Dagnall.
But it was United who were in front inside eight minutes. Jonny Howson was the provider with a great ball forward and Gradel siezed to steer the ball wide of Tony Warner.
It was a well-worked goal with a good finish and was just the confidence boost United after picking up successive league defeats.
The opening exchanges were also littered with free-kicks, and there was a suggestion that the game could be quite feisty.
Scunthorpe were without a home win since August and they started with plenty of ball, despite Leeds taking the lead, and Kasper Schmeichel had to act quickly to clear one corner after some good defending.
The United keeper also reacted well to smother one incisive pass forward, but for all Scunthorpe's possession, Leeds looked fairly comfortable.
Scunthorpe's West Ham loan man Freddie Sears did escape down the left, but his powerful ball into the box neither threatened the goal nor found a team-mate.
The home side were level in the 27th minute though. Michael O'Connor sent over a corner and Cliff Byrne got up well at the far post to plant a header in the top corner.
While the home side had responded to the first goal, Leeds responded to the equaliser by looking to apply some pressure. Shortly after the half-hour, Warner was called upon to save a Robert Snodgrass free-kick.
Warner also had to react well to punch clear an Amdy Faye header following a corner.
It was honours even at the break and the game was finely balanced going into the second period.
Gradel felt he had early claims for a penalty when he took a tumble in the box, but referee Russell Booth saw no foul and allowed play to continue.
Neil Kilkenny tried his luck from distance with a shot which was just over the top and Leeds started the second period with purpose.
Ten minutes into the second period, Grayson made his first change, introducing Bradley Johnson for Faye.
And it was 2-1 on the hour. Paul Connolly sent over a cross from the right, Scunthorpe failed to clear in the box, and Jonny Howson arrived unmarked to smash the ball home.
Howson almost made it 3-1 moments later, but on this occasion another well struck effort was saved by Warner before being scrambled clear. The United midfielder was revelling in an advanced role and he tested Warner again on 66 minutes.
United were enjoying the best spell of pressure in the game and were slowly beginning to take a grip on the contest, much to the frustration of the home support.
But Sears fired a proper warning shot when Schmeichel had to tip over a strike from distance after the on-loan youngster fashioned himself an opportunity to shoot. From the second corner, substitute Niall Canavan headed over from close range.
But Howson made no mistake at the olther end moments later to make it 3-1. The midfielder converted a Gradel cross at the far post to put Leeds in firm control.
And, almost straight from the re-start, Howson made a surging run forward to latch on to a pass just outside of the box which he smashed past Warner for his first ever professional hat-trick.
It was a storming effort and it was one which sealed the game for Leeds and sent the 2,000 plus travelling fans into raptures.
While Howson was the undoubted star of the show, special applause was given to summer signing Billy Paynter when he stepped off the subs bench to taste first team action for the first time with 10 minutes remaining.
Ramon Nunez also came off the bench and he came close to adding a fifth with another decent strike and Leeds finished the game by penning the beaten home side back. Paynter tested Warner in the dying minutes from a tight angle before the whistle blew on an impressive away success for United.
SCUNTHORPE 1 (Byrne 27), LEEDS UNITED 4 (Gradel 8, Howson 60, 73, 75)
United manager Simon Grayson handed a debut
to loan man Andy O'Brien and recalled Neil Kilkenny and Max Gradel for the trip to Scunthorpe United.And it was O'Brien who was called upon inside the first minute with his first touch in a Leeds shirt being to deny a certain goal after Alex Bruce got a touch on a ball over the top.
O'Brien looked assured in the matter of a few minutes after he made another important challenge on a goalbound Charlie Dagnall.
But it was United who were in front inside eight minutes. Jonny Howson was the provider with a great ball forward and Gradel siezed to steer the ball wide of Tony Warner.
It was a well-worked goal with a good finish and was just the confidence boost United after picking up successive league defeats.
The opening exchanges were also littered with free-kicks, and there was a suggestion that the game could be quite feisty.
Scunthorpe were without a home win since August and they started with plenty of ball, despite Leeds taking the lead, and Kasper Schmeichel had to act quickly to clear one corner after some good defending.
The United keeper also reacted well to smother one incisive pass forward, but for all Scunthorpe's possession, Leeds looked fairly comfortable.
Scunthorpe's West Ham loan man Freddie Sears did escape down the left, but his powerful ball into the box neither threatened the goal nor found a team-mate.
The home side were level in the 27th minute though. Michael O'Connor sent over a corner and Cliff Byrne got up well at the far post to plant a header in the top corner.
While the home side had responded to the first goal, Leeds responded to the equaliser by looking to apply some pressure. Shortly after the half-hour, Warner was called upon to save a Robert Snodgrass free-kick.
Warner also had to react well to punch clear an Amdy Faye header following a corner.
It was honours even at the break and the game was finely balanced going into the second period.
Gradel felt he had early claims for a penalty when he took a tumble in the box, but referee Russell Booth saw no foul and allowed play to continue.
Neil Kilkenny tried his luck from distance with a shot which was just over the top and Leeds started the second period with purpose.
Ten minutes into the second period, Grayson made his first change, introducing Bradley Johnson for Faye.
And it was 2-1 on the hour. Paul Connolly sent over a cross from the right, Scunthorpe failed to clear in the box, and Jonny Howson arrived unmarked to smash the ball home.
Howson almost made it 3-1 moments later, but on this occasion another well struck effort was saved by Warner before being scrambled clear. The United midfielder was revelling in an advanced role and he tested Warner again on 66 minutes.
United were enjoying the best spell of pressure in the game and were slowly beginning to take a grip on the contest, much to the frustration of the home support.
But Sears fired a proper warning shot when Schmeichel had to tip over a strike from distance after the on-loan youngster fashioned himself an opportunity to shoot. From the second corner, substitute Niall Canavan headed over from close range.
But Howson made no mistake at the olther end moments later to make it 3-1. The midfielder converted a Gradel cross at the far post to put Leeds in firm control.
And, almost straight from the re-start, Howson made a surging run forward to latch on to a pass just outside of the box which he smashed past Warner for his first ever professional hat-trick.
It was a storming effort and it was one which sealed the game for Leeds and sent the 2,000 plus travelling fans into raptures.
While Howson was the undoubted star of the show, special applause was given to summer signing Billy Paynter when he stepped off the subs bench to taste first team action for the first time with 10 minutes remaining.
Ramon Nunez also came off the bench and he came close to adding a fifth with another decent strike and Leeds finished the game by penning the beaten home side back. Paynter tested Warner in the dying minutes from a tight angle before the whistle blew on an impressive away success for United.