Yorkshire Evening Post 10/11/10
Mixed night for Whites midfielder Johnson
By Phil Hay
Bradley Johnson might feel the need to prove his value to Leeds United with contract talks between him and his club some way from a successful conclusion.
The own goal he scored at Elland Road last night was no way to sell himself.
The midfielder gave Leeds the sniff of a win over Hull City with his third goal of the season but ended a lively Yorkshire derby with the unkind distinction of beating both goalkeepers. His sliced clearance on 82 minutes was the defining moment on an evening of ever-shifting momentum.
United trailed for 20 minutes of the first half but had victory within their grasp in the final throes of the match, handed to them by an Andy O'Brien header. But Johnson's woeful flick from Tom Cairney's corner, carrying the ball past Kasper Schmeichel, reprieved a Hull team who were starting to flag with 10 men and precious little time to salvage a draw.
City's first goalscorer, John Bostock, soured his own appearance with a red card deep into the second half but the players he left behind conjured an equaliser from nothing, helped by Johnson's foot. A goalline clearance from Leroy Rosenior denied Alex Bruce a decisive third goal at the death.
Minor though the consolation will seem, the draw achieved one aim by marginally improving United's unusually weak record at home. Three defeats at Elland Road preceded their derby with Hull and Johnson and O'Brien prevented that sequence from extending any further.
Four years have passed since Leeds endured such a poor run; eight since the club lost four home fixtures in succession. If not quite a complex, their results at Elland Road were becoming a hindrance.
The majestic strike from Bostock which drew first blood threatened to subject another sizeable crowd to a familiarly miserable evening but Leeds fought back with calm perseverance, encouraged by a profitable spell away from home.
Three victories in succession, following wins at Scunthorpe United and Coventry City, would have spoken highly of Leeds' resurgence since their minor crisis towards the end of October, but the completion of three league games without defeat is progress in the eyes of Grayson, a manager for whom consistency has been elusive. It made a change for him to reflect on something other than a loss at Elland Road last night.
Johnson was asked to start after a minor hamstring strain accounted for Amdy Faye. The Senegalese international missed training on Monday and failed to persuade Grayson of his fitness yesterday. Max Gradel was cleared to play, despite a similar injury.
Johnson took Faye's place in the centre of midfielder but the most substantial changes were made to Grayson's defence, where Bruce and Neill Collins traded places once more. The former stepped in to partner centre-back O'Brien and the latter dropped to the bench.
Collins' demotion was as harsh as Bruce's had been at Coventry City on Saturday but there was never any doubt about Grayson's plan to recall Schmeichel from his baby-induced absence. The safe hands required by the Dane over the weekend were put to more familiar use at Elland Road.
For 14 minutes, he was shielded from a Hull attack which comprised of Richard Garcia, the sole prong in a protective formation used by Nigel Pearson. But City's first shot brought their first goal, scored in fabulous fashion by Bostock.The midfielder, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, attacked a free-kick 30 yards from goal, swerving the ball across Schmeichel and into the top corner of his net.
A meagre wall constructed on the edge of Leeds' box carried some of the blame, as did Johnson for the aggressive tackle on Bostock which gave the midfielder his chance and might have merited a yellow card. Elland Road, for all that, has seen few finishes as sublime this season.
Grayson could not claim to have sensed it coming. His side pressed City initially, and James Harper was called upon to clip the ball away from Jonathan Howson's feet before United's captain could score for the third successive game, but the onus to attack which Grayson spoke off before the game was heightened by Bostock's goal.
To his frustration, his players found Hull as organised and rigid as their defensive record implied. Becchio failed to apply an effective touch to Paul Connolly's cross on one of several of occasions when Leeds' right-back found space on the wing, and Howson's fluency was lacking when Becchio laid a Connolly pass back towards Hull's 18-yard line on the half-hour. Howson's scuffed shot dragged the ball wide.Yet Hull's defending it was which invited Leeds' equaliser in the 33rd minute. A weak headed clearance from Anthony Gerrard handed possession to Becchio who knocked the ball along the edge of the box. Johnson, his left foot is as vicious as Bostock's, dispatched it without thinking twice, low to the left of Matt Duke.
The scoreline forced Hull to be less economical with their attacks and Bruce earned his selection four minutes later by clearing the ball off Schmeichel's exposed goalline. Kevin Kilbane's cross caught Grayson's defence stretched and ran to Bostock at the far post but Bruce stood up to his shot, turning it behind.
Grayson held his breath again when Ian Ashbee, Hull's captain, met the resulting corner with his head and nodded it past Schmeichel's left-hand post. Ashbee appealed hopefully for handball but knew he should have buried the chance. Hull's discipline wavered towards the end of the first half as Bostock and Kilbane earned cautions for loose tackles and James Harper received one for needlessly deflecting the ball with his arm. Bostock would later pay for his. The draw City were heading for also came under pressure with the interval behind them.
Howson lashed a shot into the side netting after Snodgrass corner' bounced through Duke's six-yard box and Becchio curled the ball against City's bar in the 55th minute, a clever effort from outside the area.
Davide Somma, who signed a three-year contract with Leeds on the morning of yesterday's game, stepped off the bench with little over 20 minutes remaining but stood back as O'Brien, a more unlikely source, supplied United's second goal with a header which flicked Duke's right-hand post.
Johnson should have scored again soon after but Bostock's second booking and subsequent red card for fouling George McCartney seemed to have the same, match-killing effect. To the bewilderment of Elland Road, Johnson turned Cairney's delivery into his own net and rescued Hull with eight minutes to play.
Mixed night for Whites midfielder Johnson
By Phil Hay
Bradley Johnson might feel the need to prove his value to Leeds United with contract talks between him and his club some way from a successful conclusion.
The own goal he scored at Elland Road last night was no way to sell himself.
The midfielder gave Leeds the sniff of a win over Hull City with his third goal of the season but ended a lively Yorkshire derby with the unkind distinction of beating both goalkeepers. His sliced clearance on 82 minutes was the defining moment on an evening of ever-shifting momentum.
United trailed for 20 minutes of the first half but had victory within their grasp in the final throes of the match, handed to them by an Andy O'Brien header. But Johnson's woeful flick from Tom Cairney's corner, carrying the ball past Kasper Schmeichel, reprieved a Hull team who were starting to flag with 10 men and precious little time to salvage a draw.
City's first goalscorer, John Bostock, soured his own appearance with a red card deep into the second half but the players he left behind conjured an equaliser from nothing, helped by Johnson's foot. A goalline clearance from Leroy Rosenior denied Alex Bruce a decisive third goal at the death.
Minor though the consolation will seem, the draw achieved one aim by marginally improving United's unusually weak record at home. Three defeats at Elland Road preceded their derby with Hull and Johnson and O'Brien prevented that sequence from extending any further.
Four years have passed since Leeds endured such a poor run; eight since the club lost four home fixtures in succession. If not quite a complex, their results at Elland Road were becoming a hindrance.
The majestic strike from Bostock which drew first blood threatened to subject another sizeable crowd to a familiarly miserable evening but Leeds fought back with calm perseverance, encouraged by a profitable spell away from home.
Three victories in succession, following wins at Scunthorpe United and Coventry City, would have spoken highly of Leeds' resurgence since their minor crisis towards the end of October, but the completion of three league games without defeat is progress in the eyes of Grayson, a manager for whom consistency has been elusive. It made a change for him to reflect on something other than a loss at Elland Road last night.
Johnson was asked to start after a minor hamstring strain accounted for Amdy Faye. The Senegalese international missed training on Monday and failed to persuade Grayson of his fitness yesterday. Max Gradel was cleared to play, despite a similar injury.
Johnson took Faye's place in the centre of midfielder but the most substantial changes were made to Grayson's defence, where Bruce and Neill Collins traded places once more. The former stepped in to partner centre-back O'Brien and the latter dropped to the bench.
Collins' demotion was as harsh as Bruce's had been at Coventry City on Saturday but there was never any doubt about Grayson's plan to recall Schmeichel from his baby-induced absence. The safe hands required by the Dane over the weekend were put to more familiar use at Elland Road.
For 14 minutes, he was shielded from a Hull attack which comprised of Richard Garcia, the sole prong in a protective formation used by Nigel Pearson. But City's first shot brought their first goal, scored in fabulous fashion by Bostock.The midfielder, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, attacked a free-kick 30 yards from goal, swerving the ball across Schmeichel and into the top corner of his net.
A meagre wall constructed on the edge of Leeds' box carried some of the blame, as did Johnson for the aggressive tackle on Bostock which gave the midfielder his chance and might have merited a yellow card. Elland Road, for all that, has seen few finishes as sublime this season.
Grayson could not claim to have sensed it coming. His side pressed City initially, and James Harper was called upon to clip the ball away from Jonathan Howson's feet before United's captain could score for the third successive game, but the onus to attack which Grayson spoke off before the game was heightened by Bostock's goal.
To his frustration, his players found Hull as organised and rigid as their defensive record implied. Becchio failed to apply an effective touch to Paul Connolly's cross on one of several of occasions when Leeds' right-back found space on the wing, and Howson's fluency was lacking when Becchio laid a Connolly pass back towards Hull's 18-yard line on the half-hour. Howson's scuffed shot dragged the ball wide.Yet Hull's defending it was which invited Leeds' equaliser in the 33rd minute. A weak headed clearance from Anthony Gerrard handed possession to Becchio who knocked the ball along the edge of the box. Johnson, his left foot is as vicious as Bostock's, dispatched it without thinking twice, low to the left of Matt Duke.
The scoreline forced Hull to be less economical with their attacks and Bruce earned his selection four minutes later by clearing the ball off Schmeichel's exposed goalline. Kevin Kilbane's cross caught Grayson's defence stretched and ran to Bostock at the far post but Bruce stood up to his shot, turning it behind.
Grayson held his breath again when Ian Ashbee, Hull's captain, met the resulting corner with his head and nodded it past Schmeichel's left-hand post. Ashbee appealed hopefully for handball but knew he should have buried the chance. Hull's discipline wavered towards the end of the first half as Bostock and Kilbane earned cautions for loose tackles and James Harper received one for needlessly deflecting the ball with his arm. Bostock would later pay for his. The draw City were heading for also came under pressure with the interval behind them.
Howson lashed a shot into the side netting after Snodgrass corner' bounced through Duke's six-yard box and Becchio curled the ball against City's bar in the 55th minute, a clever effort from outside the area.
Davide Somma, who signed a three-year contract with Leeds on the morning of yesterday's game, stepped off the bench with little over 20 minutes remaining but stood back as O'Brien, a more unlikely source, supplied United's second goal with a header which flicked Duke's right-hand post.
Johnson should have scored again soon after but Bostock's second booking and subsequent red card for fouling George McCartney seemed to have the same, match-killing effect. To the bewilderment of Elland Road, Johnson turned Cairney's delivery into his own net and rescued Hull with eight minutes to play.