Yorkshire Post 21/11/11
Burnley 1 Leeds United 2: United’s ‘daylight robbery’ delights deadly Snodgrass
By Richard Sutcliffe at Turf Moor
SIX years to the day since Leeds United pulled off one of their finest comebacks of all time, the Yorkshire club were at it again in enemy territory to claim a memorable three points.
This time, Burnley were the unwitting victims as a hard-fought ‘War of the Roses’ clash was dramatically settled by two goals in the final 15 minutes from Robert Snodgrass.
Up until the Scottish international’s late brace, Leeds had hardly been in the game with only on-loan goalkeeper Alex McCarthy preventing the Clarets wrapping up the points.
So dominant were the home side, in fact, that McCarthy even likened United’s dramatic fightback afterwards to “daylight robbery”.
Not, however, that the 3,721 fans who had made the short trip across the Pennines cared a jot about that come the final whistle as they celebrated a victory that was enough to earn a return to the play-off places.
Many of those supporters will have been at Southampton on November 19, 2005, when Leeds somehow overturned a 3-0 deficit with just 19 minutes remaining on the clock to triumph 4-3.
Saturday’s win at Turf Moor, United’s sixth in their last seven visits, may not have been quite in that league.
But what it did do was underline the tremendous character and never-say-die spirit that runs through Simon Grayson’s squad, a quality that goalscoring hero Snodgrass believes could prove crucial in ensuring Leeds improve on last season’s seventh-place finish.
He said: “This team doesn’t know when it is beaten. In many ways, it was deja-vu from last season (when Leeds hit back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Turf Moor).
“Winning like that is always sweet and the lads showed great character to fight back like we did.
“Games like these can be the ones you look back on at the end of a season and think, ‘That made a difference’. It can get teams into the play-offs or even better.”
Snodgrass conceded afterwards that Leeds were far from at their best against the Clarets.
However, he added: “At 1-0, you always have a chance. Certainly, this team does because we have players who can create something a bit different.
“Just look at the two strikers we took off (Andy Keogh and Ross McCormack) and the players that were brought on in their place. Both Ramon Nunez and Luciano Becchio have scored goals in the past.
“That says a lot for the squad we have. Because of that quality, we know that even when not playing well, if we can stay in the match then there is a chance we can sneak something in the 93rd or 94th minute.”
Leeds may not have needed to wait until the final minute of stoppage time to claim the points in Lancashire. But that did not in any way diminish the dramatic nature of the win.
That Grayson’s men were even in the position to launch such a stunning fightback was down entirely to the presence of McCarthy in goal.
Drafted in on loan following the calamitous 5-0 home defeat to Blackpool, the Reading goalkeeper now boasts a 100 per cent record from his first two games in a Leeds shirt.
On his debut, McCarthy kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win at Leicester City but, in truth, had little to do. Against Burnley, though, the opposite was true with the enterprising play of Eddie Howe’s side meaning the visitors’ goal was never too far from coming under threat.
That McCarthy was equal to most of what the Clarets could throw at him shows why Grayson was so pleased to land the 21-year-old England Under-21 international as a replacement for the injured Andy Lonergan.
The one time McCarthy was beaten, it is doubtful any goalkeeper could have done any better as Jay Rordiguez was left unmarked on 10 minutes to head an enticing cross from Kieran Trippier in from six yards.
After that, though, there was no way past McCarthy whose first telling contribution was to divert a Keith Treacy toe-poke wide midway through the first half.
Two more fine saves followed before the interval to deny Rodriguez and Treacy, the second being a particularly agile effort to keep out a 20-yard shot that was creeping inside the post.
United were more solid after the break but McCarthy still had to hold on to a drilled Treacy free-kick before watching the same player’s always rising pile-driver clip the top of the crossbar.
As United’s loanee battled to keep Burnley at bay, at the other end Lee Grant seemed to be enjoying a much quieter afternoon.
The former Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper was fortunate to avoid a red card after referee Scott Mathieson missed a blatant handball outside the penalty area to block a goalbound Ross McCormack shot.
But, otherwise, Grant had very little to do during the opening 75 minutes apart from beat away a McCormack free-kick during the first half.
All that changed, however, in the final 15 minutes as Leeds finally rediscovered their attacking prowess. The moment that transformed the game came courtesy of a neat Snodgrass finish, the Scot sliding in at the back post to convert a Lloyd Sam cross.
Buoyed to be on level terms, United poured forward in search of a winner that duly arrived a minute from time when Snodgrass again finished from close range to clinch an unlikely three points.
McCarthy admitted: “It was a bit of daylight robbery but sometimes you have to do that at grounds like this. Even if you don’t play well, you have to dig in and stick at it.
“This league is about going away and sometimes nicking results. It could turn out to be a big win for Leeds.”
Burnley 1 Leeds United 2: United’s ‘daylight robbery’ delights deadly Snodgrass
By Richard Sutcliffe at Turf Moor
SIX years to the day since Leeds United pulled off one of their finest comebacks of all time, the Yorkshire club were at it again in enemy territory to claim a memorable three points.
This time, Burnley were the unwitting victims as a hard-fought ‘War of the Roses’ clash was dramatically settled by two goals in the final 15 minutes from Robert Snodgrass.
Up until the Scottish international’s late brace, Leeds had hardly been in the game with only on-loan goalkeeper Alex McCarthy preventing the Clarets wrapping up the points.
So dominant were the home side, in fact, that McCarthy even likened United’s dramatic fightback afterwards to “daylight robbery”.
Not, however, that the 3,721 fans who had made the short trip across the Pennines cared a jot about that come the final whistle as they celebrated a victory that was enough to earn a return to the play-off places.
Many of those supporters will have been at Southampton on November 19, 2005, when Leeds somehow overturned a 3-0 deficit with just 19 minutes remaining on the clock to triumph 4-3.
Saturday’s win at Turf Moor, United’s sixth in their last seven visits, may not have been quite in that league.
But what it did do was underline the tremendous character and never-say-die spirit that runs through Simon Grayson’s squad, a quality that goalscoring hero Snodgrass believes could prove crucial in ensuring Leeds improve on last season’s seventh-place finish.
He said: “This team doesn’t know when it is beaten. In many ways, it was deja-vu from last season (when Leeds hit back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Turf Moor).
“Winning like that is always sweet and the lads showed great character to fight back like we did.
“Games like these can be the ones you look back on at the end of a season and think, ‘That made a difference’. It can get teams into the play-offs or even better.”
Snodgrass conceded afterwards that Leeds were far from at their best against the Clarets.
However, he added: “At 1-0, you always have a chance. Certainly, this team does because we have players who can create something a bit different.
“Just look at the two strikers we took off (Andy Keogh and Ross McCormack) and the players that were brought on in their place. Both Ramon Nunez and Luciano Becchio have scored goals in the past.
“That says a lot for the squad we have. Because of that quality, we know that even when not playing well, if we can stay in the match then there is a chance we can sneak something in the 93rd or 94th minute.”
Leeds may not have needed to wait until the final minute of stoppage time to claim the points in Lancashire. But that did not in any way diminish the dramatic nature of the win.
That Grayson’s men were even in the position to launch such a stunning fightback was down entirely to the presence of McCarthy in goal.
Drafted in on loan following the calamitous 5-0 home defeat to Blackpool, the Reading goalkeeper now boasts a 100 per cent record from his first two games in a Leeds shirt.
On his debut, McCarthy kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win at Leicester City but, in truth, had little to do. Against Burnley, though, the opposite was true with the enterprising play of Eddie Howe’s side meaning the visitors’ goal was never too far from coming under threat.
That McCarthy was equal to most of what the Clarets could throw at him shows why Grayson was so pleased to land the 21-year-old England Under-21 international as a replacement for the injured Andy Lonergan.
The one time McCarthy was beaten, it is doubtful any goalkeeper could have done any better as Jay Rordiguez was left unmarked on 10 minutes to head an enticing cross from Kieran Trippier in from six yards.
After that, though, there was no way past McCarthy whose first telling contribution was to divert a Keith Treacy toe-poke wide midway through the first half.
Two more fine saves followed before the interval to deny Rodriguez and Treacy, the second being a particularly agile effort to keep out a 20-yard shot that was creeping inside the post.
United were more solid after the break but McCarthy still had to hold on to a drilled Treacy free-kick before watching the same player’s always rising pile-driver clip the top of the crossbar.
As United’s loanee battled to keep Burnley at bay, at the other end Lee Grant seemed to be enjoying a much quieter afternoon.
The former Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper was fortunate to avoid a red card after referee Scott Mathieson missed a blatant handball outside the penalty area to block a goalbound Ross McCormack shot.
But, otherwise, Grant had very little to do during the opening 75 minutes apart from beat away a McCormack free-kick during the first half.
All that changed, however, in the final 15 minutes as Leeds finally rediscovered their attacking prowess. The moment that transformed the game came courtesy of a neat Snodgrass finish, the Scot sliding in at the back post to convert a Lloyd Sam cross.
Buoyed to be on level terms, United poured forward in search of a winner that duly arrived a minute from time when Snodgrass again finished from close range to clinch an unlikely three points.
McCarthy admitted: “It was a bit of daylight robbery but sometimes you have to do that at grounds like this. Even if you don’t play well, you have to dig in and stick at it.
“This league is about going away and sometimes nicking results. It could turn out to be a big win for Leeds.”
