Varney hat trick seals win
leedsunited.com 23/7/13
United leave Lamex as 3-0 winners...
STEVENAGE 0, UNITED 3 (Varney 71, 76, 80).
Stevenage: Day, Wedgbury, Ashton, Jones, Charles, Burrow, Heslop, Freeman, Tansey, Tounkara, Lopez. Subs. Thompson, Hills, Dunne, Akins, Ball, Shroot, Deacon, Bruna.
United: Kenny, Thompson, Lees, Pugh, Drury, Green (Austin 59), Brown, Norris (McCormack 59, Murphy 82), White, Varney (Hunt 81), Poleon. Subs. Cairns, Warnock, Peltier, Tonge, Lenighan.
Referee: M Russell
Att: 2,751
There was a much changed starting line-up for United's final away pre-season trip to Stevenage.
Brian McDermott made eight changes from the team that started at Walsall three days earlier, the only remaining names on the teamsheet were Paddy Kenny, Tom Lees and Paul Green.
During the opening exchanges neither side were given the time to settle on the ball with both sides closing down well.
The first clear opportunity of the half went to the home side on the quarter-hour mark. Good work from Luke Freeman made an opening but Lees made a decisive block.
The home side attacked again five minutes later, and it was Lees with an inch perfect challege that prevented Oumare Tounkara having an attempt on goal.
Kenny was also called into action for the first time on 22 minutes when he made a great block to deny Jon Ashton.
On the half hour mark United created a first meaningful chance of the evening. Good hold-up play by Dominic Poleon led to a great chance for Green to strike at goal, but his attempt went over the bar.
Moments later United carved out the best chance of the half when Aidy White carried the ball 20-yards, beating three men in the process but Poleon couldn't connect with the midfielder's cross.
With the half drawing to a close it was United that pushed for the opening goal. Michael Brown struck a free kick that brought a great save from Chris Day and the midfielder's effort proved to be the final attempt of the half.
United started the second half brightly, White was involved again and his good work led to David Norris seeing his strike fly over Day's goal.
United started to control proceedings and 10 minutes after the interval Zac Thompson's through ball set up Poleon, but the striker saw his effort saved.
United's early pressure almost brought the opening goal when Luke Varney's headed effort went just wide. The United boss rang the changes on 60 minutes by introducing Ross McCormack and Rudy Austin to proceedings.
The fresh faces sparked Brian McDermott's side into life and it wasn't long before the deadlock was broken. Great build-up play from Thompson was followed by Varney converting Austin's cross and heading the ball past the Stevenage keeper.
The goal was Varney's first of pre-season and he doubled his tally five minutes later when he made no mistake after being put through on goal, to finish calmly past Day.
And just minutes after the restart Varney completed a nine minute hat-trick when he converted from the penalty spot. Moments later the striker received a standing ovation after being replaced by Noel Hunt.
With just five minutes of the game remaining Brown almost capped off the evening, but he saw his 20-yard lofted effort skim the crossbar as it went over.
Brian McDermott got the response he wanted from his players on Tuesday night after a disappointing performance against Walsall on Saturday.
Brian McDermott's side travelled to Stevenage for the final away pre-season match and after three second half goals from Luke Varney the manager feels lessons have been learnt.
"We didn't need that on Saturday and when you get something like that against Walsall you have to learn from that," said Brian.
"The big lesson is that you have to earn the right to play and we did that on Tuesday. We played some good stuff and got three good goals.
"The most important thing is that we learnt from Saturday because that hurt, I didn't like that at all.
"We don't want loads of our fans coming to watch a performance like that, we had a lot of fans there on Tuesday night and they will go home happy, that's the main thing."
Hat-trick hero Luke Varney will take the plaudits from the evening but the manager was happy with the whole team's performance and how they reacted from the defeat at Walsall.
"It's great and the crowd singing his name will be good for him and his confidence," said the boss. "A striker scoring a hat-trick, I'm delighted for him.
"He has been a bit unfortunate so far during pre-season, but he is good in the air and he scored three good goals on Tuesday.
"I'm really pleased with the whole group, we had a good meeting on Monday and we all had our say and we got our rewards on Tuesday night."
Stevenage: Day, Wedgbury, Ashton, Jones, Charles, Burrow, Heslop, Freeman, Tansey, Tounkara, Lopez. Subs. Thompson, Hills, Dunne, Akins, Ball, Shroot, Deacon, Bruna.
United: Kenny, Thompson, Lees, Pugh, Drury, Green (Austin 59), Brown, Norris (McCormack 59, Murphy 82), White, Varney (Hunt 81), Poleon. Subs. Cairns, Warnock, Peltier, Tonge, Lenighan.
Referee: M Russell
Att: 2,751
There was a much changed starting line-up for United's final away pre-season trip to Stevenage.
Brian McDermott made eight changes from the team that started at Walsall three days earlier, the only remaining names on the teamsheet were Paddy Kenny, Tom Lees and Paul Green.
During the opening exchanges neither side were given the time to settle on the ball with both sides closing down well.
The first clear opportunity of the half went to the home side on the quarter-hour mark. Good work from Luke Freeman made an opening but Lees made a decisive block.
The home side attacked again five minutes later, and it was Lees with an inch perfect challege that prevented Oumare Tounkara having an attempt on goal.
Kenny was also called into action for the first time on 22 minutes when he made a great block to deny Jon Ashton.
On the half hour mark United created a first meaningful chance of the evening. Good hold-up play by Dominic Poleon led to a great chance for Green to strike at goal, but his attempt went over the bar.
Moments later United carved out the best chance of the half when Aidy White carried the ball 20-yards, beating three men in the process but Poleon couldn't connect with the midfielder's cross.
With the half drawing to a close it was United that pushed for the opening goal. Michael Brown struck a free kick that brought a great save from Chris Day and the midfielder's effort proved to be the final attempt of the half.
United started the second half brightly, White was involved again and his good work led to David Norris seeing his strike fly over Day's goal.
United started to control proceedings and 10 minutes after the interval Zac Thompson's through ball set up Poleon, but the striker saw his effort saved.
United's early pressure almost brought the opening goal when Luke Varney's headed effort went just wide. The United boss rang the changes on 60 minutes by introducing Ross McCormack and Rudy Austin to proceedings.
The fresh faces sparked Brian McDermott's side into life and it wasn't long before the deadlock was broken. Great build-up play from Thompson was followed by Varney converting Austin's cross and heading the ball past the Stevenage keeper.
The goal was Varney's first of pre-season and he doubled his tally five minutes later when he made no mistake after being put through on goal, to finish calmly past Day.
And just minutes after the restart Varney completed a nine minute hat-trick when he converted from the penalty spot. Moments later the striker received a standing ovation after being replaced by Noel Hunt.
With just five minutes of the game remaining Brown almost capped off the evening, but he saw his 20-yard lofted effort skim the crossbar as it went over.
Brian McDermott got the response he wanted from his players on Tuesday night after a disappointing performance against Walsall on Saturday.
Brian McDermott's side travelled to Stevenage for the final away pre-season match and after three second half goals from Luke Varney the manager feels lessons have been learnt.
"We didn't need that on Saturday and when you get something like that against Walsall you have to learn from that," said Brian.
"The big lesson is that you have to earn the right to play and we did that on Tuesday. We played some good stuff and got three good goals.
"The most important thing is that we learnt from Saturday because that hurt, I didn't like that at all.
"We don't want loads of our fans coming to watch a performance like that, we had a lot of fans there on Tuesday night and they will go home happy, that's the main thing."
Hat-trick hero Luke Varney will take the plaudits from the evening but the manager was happy with the whole team's performance and how they reacted from the defeat at Walsall.
"It's great and the crowd singing his name will be good for him and his confidence," said the boss. "A striker scoring a hat-trick, I'm delighted for him.
"He has been a bit unfortunate so far during pre-season, but he is good in the air and he scored three good goals on Tuesday.
"I'm really pleased with the whole group, we had a good meeting on Monday and we all had our say and we got our rewards on Tuesday night."