ToEllAndBack 17/9/11
Super Ross relieves the dross! - Leeds 2 - 1 Bristol City
Ross McCormack was on target yet again as Leeds recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season, but it was hardly vintage stuff against a struggling Bristol City side inspired by a former Leeds favourite who made the whites' battle all the way.
Simon Grayson opted for minimal changes to the side that beat Crystal Palace seven days ago, Aidy White returned from suspension to replace rookie Charlie Taylor for whom there was no place on the bench. Michael Brown also dropped down to the dug-out, replaced from Adam Clayton who recovered in time from a calf-injury.
Taylor, Lloyd Sam and new signing Mika Vayrynen did not even make the bench. United's new Finnish signing had apparently been given a few more days to settle into life in West Yorkshire before being thrown in to the cut and thrust of the English game.
There was barely three minutes on the clock when United drew first blood. Snodgrass's typical pounding of the left wing saw Clayton find an excellent position and the former-Manchester City youngster's innovation and screaming for the ball paid off as he sweetly looped a left footed first time drive past David James for the Leeds opener,
Leeds really should have killed the Bristolian's off within the first ten minutes and Andy Keogh was guilty of missing two sitters, Grayson's decision to keep Luciano Becchio on the bench looked somewhat tainted as the on-loan Wolves man squandered two glorious chances to net his first in a white shirt on his second spell with the club.
Another player who was familiar with the surroundings was Neil Kilkenny, the Australian international who somewhat surprisingly elected to join the Ashton Gate outfit having failed to agree a new-deal with Leeds. Kilkenny received a mixed-reception from the home fans, some booing him whilst others applauded him when he came to take a corner at the Gelderd End following a rare City attack.
However on 11 minutes Kilkenny, who else, took full advantage of some typical standoffish Leeds play when he lofted a superb equaliser from the edge of the box over Lonergan into the roof of the net.
Simon Grayson had told his players beforehand he did not expect to see a repeat of last week's shoddy performance against Palace, where the whites' switched off and allowed the visitors back into the game, Although City did not attack with the guile of the Eagles, much to Grayson's dismay they finished the half the stronger and United were guilty of some clumsy play including two hospital passes from O'Dea and then the below-par Howson which surely a more superior side would have punished.
Leeds looked more alert and up for retaking control of the game after the break, but we struggled to find any momentum or rhythm - once again it seemed that Nunez and Snodgrass on the flanks were being starved out of the proceedings and Maynard, the man who City have gambled on turning down a huge fee from Leicester for and risk losing him on a Bosman next summer, was increasingly causing problems for the whites'defence.
In a letter to season ticket holders before the first ball of the season was kicked, Ken Bates lamented the prolonged absence of Paddy Kisnorbo as being a factor why Leeds just couild not raise the bar enough to make the place-offs last season. I'm sorry Ken, but Kisnorbo once again showed his limitations when faced against someone with pace and intricate skill. His heading ability reminiscent of Michael Duberry at his worse and clumsiness proved to be a liability on 64 minutes when he hauled Maynard to the ground and conceded a penalty.
I understand the TV replays have shown the initial contact was made outside the penalty area, but as last man Kisnorbo had to go and ironically the game would swing in Leeds' favour.
Maynard stepped up and fluffed the penalty or rather Andy Lonergan yet again underlined that maybe Grayson had a point in taking Leicester's offer for Kasper Schmeichel. Lonergan earned a standing ovation and grateful hugs from his team-mates for beating away Maynard's efforts.
Grayson had already thrown Becchio on in place of Nunez and bolstered his makeshift defence by bringing on Leigh Bromby for Keogh on 69. Both of these substitions would have a dramatic impact on ten-man Leeds' late winner.
With just four minutes remaining and moments after Becchio was left kicking the post in frustration having failed to convert a good opportunity but his aerial prowess more than made up for that missed chance as be flicked on Bromby's throw into the path of Ross McCormack who slid home the winner at the far post.
With four minutes stoppage time added to the four minutes remaining it was nail-biting stuff and City had the ball in the net, Lonergan however was adjudged to have been fouled but TV replays showed Howson had shoved a City player into the Leeds keeper.
So Leeds ride their luck somewhat and both the result and the performance gives us plenty to consider. Two home wins on the spin is a positive and we can take some heart from how we battled with ten men to grab the winner, but the nagging doubt it how will we fare when we face superior Championship teams than Bristol City and Palace. Our defence is still not right, Leeds looked more competant at the back following Kisnorbo's enforced departure. In midfield, the return of Adam Clayton was a massive positive and but-for Lonergan's heroics he would have been my man of the match however Nunez seems to be litte more than a lightweight replacement for Max Gradel, Snodgrass is clearly suffering a drop of form and captain Howson seems to have a habit of going missing.
Sporting Life 17/9/11
GRAYSON HAILS McCORMACK
Leeds manager Simon Grayson hailed Ross McCormack's attacking instincts after the striker scored the winning goal four minutes from time in their 2-1 victory over Bristol City in the npower Championship.
McCormack stole in at the far post to snatch Leeds' winner and leave Bristol City second from bottom with just one win.
McCormack's seventh goal in nine matches settled a match of many fluffed chances, including a penalty miss by City's Nicky Maynard, whose shot struck Andy Lonergan's legs.
Patrick Kisnorbo was sent off for bringing down Maynard, leaving Leeds to battle from the 65th minute with 10 men.
Grayson said: "Ross was in the right place at the right time and showed a striker's instinct. We could have been two or three goals up in the opening minutes but in the end we ground out the result. Andy's penalty save came at a vital time of the match and I had no quarrel with Paddy's sending-off.
"He's the fourth player we've had dismissed this season but we are not a dirty team. We were unfortunate with the other three."
City manager Keith Millen admitted Jamal Campbell-Ryce's disallowed goal just before the end came after Jon Stead had fouled Lonergan, but he added: "We made the worst start possible by conceding a third-minute goal but Neil Kilkenny's goal got us back into it.
"When they went down to 10 men we should have scored from the resultant penalty and that's two we've now missed this season.
"I wasn't happy with the way we conceded the late goal, either. If you give away goals like that you don't win football matches."
Kilkenny had the perfect answer to those Leeds fans who argue Adam Clayton has more than filled his boots.
Kilkenny could only look on in admiration as Clayton met a right-wing cross from Robert Snodgrass and swept it into the top left corner of David James' net.
But the man who joined Bristol this summer after running down his contract at Leeds let fly from outside the penalty area and saw his shot fly in off the underside of the bar for an 11th-minute equaliser to stun his old club.
Clayton has been a revelation so far this term and the midfield battle for supremacy with Kilkenny was a feature of a match which rarely hit the heights.
James, City's 41-year-old former England keeper, belied his years with top drawer saves to deny Andy Keogh and Darren O'Dea, while at the other end Lonergan, who has been tipped as a future England keeper, made that vital 65th-minute penalty save .
Maynard was made to pay for his miss when, with four minutes remaining, Luciano Becchio helped Leigh Bromby's long throw towards McCormack who stabbed the ball over the line and sent Leeds into Tuesday's Carling Cup task against Manchester United with morale high.
Super Ross relieves the dross! - Leeds 2 - 1 Bristol City
Ross McCormack was on target yet again as Leeds recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season, but it was hardly vintage stuff against a struggling Bristol City side inspired by a former Leeds favourite who made the whites' battle all the way.
Simon Grayson opted for minimal changes to the side that beat Crystal Palace seven days ago, Aidy White returned from suspension to replace rookie Charlie Taylor for whom there was no place on the bench. Michael Brown also dropped down to the dug-out, replaced from Adam Clayton who recovered in time from a calf-injury.
Taylor, Lloyd Sam and new signing Mika Vayrynen did not even make the bench. United's new Finnish signing had apparently been given a few more days to settle into life in West Yorkshire before being thrown in to the cut and thrust of the English game.
There was barely three minutes on the clock when United drew first blood. Snodgrass's typical pounding of the left wing saw Clayton find an excellent position and the former-Manchester City youngster's innovation and screaming for the ball paid off as he sweetly looped a left footed first time drive past David James for the Leeds opener,
Leeds really should have killed the Bristolian's off within the first ten minutes and Andy Keogh was guilty of missing two sitters, Grayson's decision to keep Luciano Becchio on the bench looked somewhat tainted as the on-loan Wolves man squandered two glorious chances to net his first in a white shirt on his second spell with the club.
Another player who was familiar with the surroundings was Neil Kilkenny, the Australian international who somewhat surprisingly elected to join the Ashton Gate outfit having failed to agree a new-deal with Leeds. Kilkenny received a mixed-reception from the home fans, some booing him whilst others applauded him when he came to take a corner at the Gelderd End following a rare City attack.
However on 11 minutes Kilkenny, who else, took full advantage of some typical standoffish Leeds play when he lofted a superb equaliser from the edge of the box over Lonergan into the roof of the net.
Simon Grayson had told his players beforehand he did not expect to see a repeat of last week's shoddy performance against Palace, where the whites' switched off and allowed the visitors back into the game, Although City did not attack with the guile of the Eagles, much to Grayson's dismay they finished the half the stronger and United were guilty of some clumsy play including two hospital passes from O'Dea and then the below-par Howson which surely a more superior side would have punished.
Leeds looked more alert and up for retaking control of the game after the break, but we struggled to find any momentum or rhythm - once again it seemed that Nunez and Snodgrass on the flanks were being starved out of the proceedings and Maynard, the man who City have gambled on turning down a huge fee from Leicester for and risk losing him on a Bosman next summer, was increasingly causing problems for the whites'defence.
In a letter to season ticket holders before the first ball of the season was kicked, Ken Bates lamented the prolonged absence of Paddy Kisnorbo as being a factor why Leeds just couild not raise the bar enough to make the place-offs last season. I'm sorry Ken, but Kisnorbo once again showed his limitations when faced against someone with pace and intricate skill. His heading ability reminiscent of Michael Duberry at his worse and clumsiness proved to be a liability on 64 minutes when he hauled Maynard to the ground and conceded a penalty.
I understand the TV replays have shown the initial contact was made outside the penalty area, but as last man Kisnorbo had to go and ironically the game would swing in Leeds' favour.
Maynard stepped up and fluffed the penalty or rather Andy Lonergan yet again underlined that maybe Grayson had a point in taking Leicester's offer for Kasper Schmeichel. Lonergan earned a standing ovation and grateful hugs from his team-mates for beating away Maynard's efforts.
Grayson had already thrown Becchio on in place of Nunez and bolstered his makeshift defence by bringing on Leigh Bromby for Keogh on 69. Both of these substitions would have a dramatic impact on ten-man Leeds' late winner.
With just four minutes remaining and moments after Becchio was left kicking the post in frustration having failed to convert a good opportunity but his aerial prowess more than made up for that missed chance as be flicked on Bromby's throw into the path of Ross McCormack who slid home the winner at the far post.
With four minutes stoppage time added to the four minutes remaining it was nail-biting stuff and City had the ball in the net, Lonergan however was adjudged to have been fouled but TV replays showed Howson had shoved a City player into the Leeds keeper.
So Leeds ride their luck somewhat and both the result and the performance gives us plenty to consider. Two home wins on the spin is a positive and we can take some heart from how we battled with ten men to grab the winner, but the nagging doubt it how will we fare when we face superior Championship teams than Bristol City and Palace. Our defence is still not right, Leeds looked more competant at the back following Kisnorbo's enforced departure. In midfield, the return of Adam Clayton was a massive positive and but-for Lonergan's heroics he would have been my man of the match however Nunez seems to be litte more than a lightweight replacement for Max Gradel, Snodgrass is clearly suffering a drop of form and captain Howson seems to have a habit of going missing.
Sporting Life 17/9/11
GRAYSON HAILS McCORMACK
Leeds manager Simon Grayson hailed Ross McCormack's attacking instincts after the striker scored the winning goal four minutes from time in their 2-1 victory over Bristol City in the npower Championship.
McCormack stole in at the far post to snatch Leeds' winner and leave Bristol City second from bottom with just one win.
McCormack's seventh goal in nine matches settled a match of many fluffed chances, including a penalty miss by City's Nicky Maynard, whose shot struck Andy Lonergan's legs.
Patrick Kisnorbo was sent off for bringing down Maynard, leaving Leeds to battle from the 65th minute with 10 men.
Grayson said: "Ross was in the right place at the right time and showed a striker's instinct. We could have been two or three goals up in the opening minutes but in the end we ground out the result. Andy's penalty save came at a vital time of the match and I had no quarrel with Paddy's sending-off.
"He's the fourth player we've had dismissed this season but we are not a dirty team. We were unfortunate with the other three."
City manager Keith Millen admitted Jamal Campbell-Ryce's disallowed goal just before the end came after Jon Stead had fouled Lonergan, but he added: "We made the worst start possible by conceding a third-minute goal but Neil Kilkenny's goal got us back into it.
"When they went down to 10 men we should have scored from the resultant penalty and that's two we've now missed this season.
"I wasn't happy with the way we conceded the late goal, either. If you give away goals like that you don't win football matches."
Kilkenny had the perfect answer to those Leeds fans who argue Adam Clayton has more than filled his boots.
Kilkenny could only look on in admiration as Clayton met a right-wing cross from Robert Snodgrass and swept it into the top left corner of David James' net.
But the man who joined Bristol this summer after running down his contract at Leeds let fly from outside the penalty area and saw his shot fly in off the underside of the bar for an 11th-minute equaliser to stun his old club.
Clayton has been a revelation so far this term and the midfield battle for supremacy with Kilkenny was a feature of a match which rarely hit the heights.
James, City's 41-year-old former England keeper, belied his years with top drawer saves to deny Andy Keogh and Darren O'Dea, while at the other end Lonergan, who has been tipped as a future England keeper, made that vital 65th-minute penalty save .
Maynard was made to pay for his miss when, with four minutes remaining, Luciano Becchio helped Leigh Bromby's long throw towards McCormack who stabbed the ball over the line and sent Leeds into Tuesday's Carling Cup task against Manchester United with morale high.