FC Domzale 2 Leeds United 1: Defeat a timely reminder for Whites

YEP 15/7/13
by Phil Hay
The lecture in the dressing room went on for almost 10 minutes afterwards. When he finally emerged, Brian McDermott had that look in his eyes; the look of a manager with something to say.
This is pre-season and a time of no competitive consequence but Leeds United’s first defeat of the summer annoyed him. Did the result really matter in the grand scheme? “Results matter,” McDermott said. “They always matter.”
A ragged end to a competitive friendly against Domzale gave McDermott grounds for complaint, despite his admission that United’s tour had been a “cracking trip” so far.
Leeds were a goal to the good with 10 minutes to play but conceded twice and softly after Domzale set about McDermott’s defence. A minor post mortem ensued.
United’s manager was displeased with the result but more concerned about the implications of mistakes made on Saturday repeating themselves when the Championship season starts.
Losing a match as they did over the weekend did not sit comfortably with him.
“That was a game we should have won,” he said. “If you have to win ugly then you win ugly but after 60 minutes we weren’t functional. We didn’t flow with the ball.”
Domzale had an obvious advantage insofar as their preparation for the Slovenian season is already complete.
They would have played their first Premier League game on Saturday had it not been for Europa League commitments earlier in the week and the offer of a financially valuable friendly against Leeds.
Fit as Domzale were, for almost an hour the team fielded by McDermott found the going good.
When a spate of changes came midway through the second half, United’s performance deteriorated.
“We’ve trained an awful lot and we talk about fitness,” McDermott said. “I know all of that. But football’s about winning games.
“When you’re Leeds United you have to win games and that’s really, really important to me.
“Results always matter. At Reading we got to the play-off final and got beat. The result mattered. When we won the Championship and won 15 or 16 out of 18, the results mattered.
“The fans want to see results and players need that mentality – a results-driven mentality.
“Do what you have to do to win a game of football. That’s the key.”
The friendly – Leeds’ third of the summer – was not without encouragement. McDermott himself suggested that a timely reminder of good practice and professionalism might be worth its weight in gold after trouble-free wins over Farsley and a Slovenian regional XI.
Domzale were a different calibre of team altogether; on United’s level in a way which neither Farsley nor Pomurje were.
For a time Leeds found themselves in a contest.
Domzale’s style was typically European; ball on the ground, passing and moving with a few histrionics thrown in.
As a whole the night had a more serious feel. Referee Rade Obrenovic booked four players – Stephen Warnock, Luke Varney and Rodolph Austin from Leeds – in what might almost be a record for a pre-season match.
The hosts took much pleasure from the late goals scored by Slobodan Vuk.
The first half saw chances at both ends and a third goal of the summer for Dominic Poleon.
The striker, who hit the post after a matter of seconds, arrived first to the rebound from Paul Green’s shot on 27 minutes, bundling a bouncing ball past goalkeeper Ajdin Mulalic.
“It’s nice to see Dominic score again,” McDermott said. “He’s going to play a part for us.”
United found ways of getting at Domzale’s full-backs and Green’s energy in front of the back four kept Domzale close. Paddy Kenny made one excellent save from Kristian Draksler, low to his left from point-blank range and Noel Hunt went close with a diving header. Narrowly misplaced cut-backs were Domzale’s saving grace and McDermott had few complaints with the opening half. “We should have been three up,” he said.
In that respect, you wondered if the 11 players involved for 60 minutes on Saturday left Domzale with a feeling of quiet contentment, in part because that spell was United’s best of the game but also because the half-hour which followed did nothing to showcase the others on the pitch.
The day when McDermott selects his team for Brighton is fast approaching and the importance of making more of tomorrow’s friendly against Ferencvaros will not be lost on those whose body language showed frustration at full-time.
As the second half ticked on, Domzale’s fettle began to tell. Poleon ran the line with purpose before the interval but began to drift onto the flanks as the team behind him became increasingly narrow.
Drago Grabic hit the underside of Kenny’s crossbar from a tight angle and Alex Cairns, Kenny’s replacement, became the focus of attention as Domzale developed some rhythm. McDermott and around 400 United supporters could see concessions coming.
Cairns’ alert save from Vuk prevented an equaliser after 79 minutes but Vuk scored with a free header from the resulting corner, after finding himself unmarked at the far post.
Cairns tipped another shot from the striker over his bar but was wrong-footed at the death when Vuk’s weak effort struck a leg and trickled into the net.
“It was difficult and they were a decent side,” said McDermott. “We’re a long way away from where we’re going to be on August 3.
“I’m not speaking about this as a negative. I’m speaking out it as a positive.
“From that we should learn that sometimes in games it will be difficult and you have to do a job away from home, whether that’s at Barnsley, Huddersfield or wherever. You win that game 1-0.
“I’ve been really pleased with the group, with the way they’ve trained and the way they’ve conducted themselves. I can’t fault that. I’m just trying to give out reminders here.
“Sometimes it’s good to have this happen because it gives you a dose of reality which says ‘okay, we’ve still got a lot of work to do.’”
FC Domzale: Mulanic (Nejc 60), Tirc (Kous 60), Zec (Skubic 60), Kovjenic (Dobrovoljc 60), Balkovec (Bozovic 60), Vancas (Janza 60), Mijic (Stankovic 60), Banovic (Majer 60), Pihler (G Vuk 60), Parker (S Vuk 60), Draksler (Balokog 45).
Leeds United: Kenny (Cairns 61), Peltier (Thompson 61), Lees (Killock 61), Pugh (Pearce 61), Warnock (Drury 61), Norris (Austin 61), Green (Murphy 61), Brown (Tonge 61), White (McCormack 61), Hunt (Varney 61), Poleon (Smith 61).
Referee: Rade Obrenovic (Ljubljana).

Popular posts from this blog

Leeds United handed boost as ‘genuinely class’ star confirms his commitment to the club - YEP 4/8/23

Leeds United in ‘final stages’ of £10m deal for Premier League defender as Jack Harrison exit looms - YEP 13/8/23

Wilfried Gnonto latest as talks ongoing between Everton and Leeds despite £38m+ claims - Goodison News 1/9/23