Mail 6/3/12
Hull 0 Leeds 0: Lonergan is United's hero as Warnock fails to reignite play-off push
By John Edwards
Andy Lonergan seized the opportunity to make the right impression on Neil Warnock, but it was scarcely enough to put a smile on the face of the new Leeds manager at the KC Stadium.
After a goalless draw at Portsmouth and home defeat by Southampton, Warnock was looking for a positive impact from players further up the field after outlining the requirements for a late tilt at a play-off place.
Instead, with his front players misfiring for much of the night, it was left to Lonergan to keep Leeds in contention with a string of spectacular saves.
It was meant to be the start of a three-match winning run that would launch Leeds into the thick of the promotion battle, but no-one would have guessed from the way Hull tore into Warnock’s team in a one-sided first half.
Leeds’ manager had boldly declared that maximum points against Hull, Middlesbrough and West Ham were essential for reigniting a promotion challenge that had faltered prior to his arrival.
The opener, against a Hull side just three points and one place better off, was supposed to be the least demanding of the three, though it hardly looked that way as Leeds increasingly found themselves on the back foot.
A Robert Snodgrass volley that narrowly cleared the bar and a Luciano Becchio header that was saved underneath it were the only moments of respite for Leeds.
Robert Koren was at the heart of Hull’s best attacking endeavours, starting with a 23rd-minute burst from the halfway line and pass to Cameron Stewart that the winger fired wastefully over from 15 yards.
A Koren volley brought the best out of Lonergan on the half-hour, and Leeds escaped again four minutes later when Aaron Mclean steered an unchallenged header wide from Andy Dawson’s inswinging corner.
Lonergan excelled himself with a full-length reflex save from a Corry Evans volley in the 39th minute, following more impressive approach work from Koren, and the Leeds goal survived another near-miss seconds later as Hull scented a breakthrough.
The threat again came from Koren, whose left-foot drive from 25 yards beat Lonergan all ends up but struck the support post. Hull continued to make the running at the start of the second half, though poor finishing like Mclean’s 48th-minute effort that went yards over, may have been a concern to Nick Barmby.
The Hull boss said: ‘Full credit to their keeper for three or four really top-class saves. We were the better team and would have won, if only we’d taken one of those chances near the end of the first half.’
Warnock refused to concede his side’s promotion chances had gone but said: ‘We have got to win on Sunday now.’
Hull 0 Leeds 0: Lonergan is United's hero as Warnock fails to reignite play-off push
By John Edwards
Andy Lonergan seized the opportunity to make the right impression on Neil Warnock, but it was scarcely enough to put a smile on the face of the new Leeds manager at the KC Stadium.
After a goalless draw at Portsmouth and home defeat by Southampton, Warnock was looking for a positive impact from players further up the field after outlining the requirements for a late tilt at a play-off place.
Instead, with his front players misfiring for much of the night, it was left to Lonergan to keep Leeds in contention with a string of spectacular saves.
It was meant to be the start of a three-match winning run that would launch Leeds into the thick of the promotion battle, but no-one would have guessed from the way Hull tore into Warnock’s team in a one-sided first half.
Leeds’ manager had boldly declared that maximum points against Hull, Middlesbrough and West Ham were essential for reigniting a promotion challenge that had faltered prior to his arrival.
The opener, against a Hull side just three points and one place better off, was supposed to be the least demanding of the three, though it hardly looked that way as Leeds increasingly found themselves on the back foot.
A Robert Snodgrass volley that narrowly cleared the bar and a Luciano Becchio header that was saved underneath it were the only moments of respite for Leeds.
Robert Koren was at the heart of Hull’s best attacking endeavours, starting with a 23rd-minute burst from the halfway line and pass to Cameron Stewart that the winger fired wastefully over from 15 yards.
A Koren volley brought the best out of Lonergan on the half-hour, and Leeds escaped again four minutes later when Aaron Mclean steered an unchallenged header wide from Andy Dawson’s inswinging corner.
Lonergan excelled himself with a full-length reflex save from a Corry Evans volley in the 39th minute, following more impressive approach work from Koren, and the Leeds goal survived another near-miss seconds later as Hull scented a breakthrough.
The threat again came from Koren, whose left-foot drive from 25 yards beat Lonergan all ends up but struck the support post. Hull continued to make the running at the start of the second half, though poor finishing like Mclean’s 48th-minute effort that went yards over, may have been a concern to Nick Barmby.
The Hull boss said: ‘Full credit to their keeper for three or four really top-class saves. We were the better team and would have won, if only we’d taken one of those chances near the end of the first half.’
Warnock refused to concede his side’s promotion chances had gone but said: ‘We have got to win on Sunday now.’