Leeds United 2 - Brighton 1: Luke Murphy starts the post-Ken Bates party at Leeds - Express 4/8/13
THE party to celebrate Ken Bates’ exit is in full swing at Leeds – and debutant Luke Murphy sent it into overdrive. By: Mike Whalley
The £1million summer signing from Crewe marked his debut with a controversial winner four minutes into stoppage time to give new Brighton boss Oscar Garcia a harsh first lesson in English football.
Brighton believed Murphy handled the ball as he raced through to score right at the finish – but their appeals went unheard.
Garcia said he had not seen the incident but Leeds boss Brian McDermott admitted: “I think it connected with his hand. Whether it was handball or not, I don’t know. I just think we deserved a break and maybe we got one.”
A day that had promised so much for Brighton, when Leonardo Ulloa scored early, ended with nothing thanks to Ross McCormack’s equaliser and midfielder Murphy’s dramatic late contribution.
It was the perfect end to an eventful week at Elland Road as Leeds enter a new era without the man their fans loved to hate.
Bates was ousted as president by Dubai-based owners GFH Capital last weekend, just a month after stepping down as chairman.
Fans were alienated during the Bates era by rising ticket prices, a perceived lack of investment and the departure of star performers.
Leeds enter a new era without the man their fans loved to hate
But with Bates gone the supporters flocked back – more tyhan 33,000 as Elland Road enjoyed its biggest crowd for an opening home game since their Premier League days of 2003.
And those fans made their feelings known from the start, with raucous anti-Bates chants of: “That Chelsea b*****d, he’s out of our club.”
It was a testing atmosphere for Garcia, the former Barcelona player and youth coach who has the phone numbers of Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Johan Cruyff if he needs any advice.
He might be making a few calls now. Brighton had skill and craft to spare – but Leeds beat them with hard work and a bit of rough stuff.
It made for a gripping match. Brighton looked ready to stop the post-Bates party in no time as Andrea Orlandi threatened with a long-range shot that goalkeeper Paddy Kenny pushed away. Then the visitors took a 13th-minute lead with a goal that was equal parts La Liga guile and dozy Championship defending.
Former Valencia right-back Bruno Saltor slotted a pass in behind the home defence and Argentinian forward Ulloa – signed from Almeria in January – whipped a shot past Kenny.
Leeds refused to buckle and were level within six minutes. The tireless Michael Tonge found space to get in a cross from the right which flicked off the head of Seagulls’ centre-back Gordon Greer for Blackpool target McCormack to control and fire a shot into the bottom corner.
It was the kind of spirit McDermott will need if he is to repeat the feat he achieved as Reading boss two seasons ago and win promotion from the Championship.
Brighton never really regained their early momentum although Kenny made a double save 20 minutes into the second half, denying first Andrew Crofts and then Orlandi, on his 29th birthday.
But Leeds grew in confidence as substitute Dominic Poleon poked a close-range shot wide from Tonge’s flick. Poleon then muscled away from Bruno to fire in a last-minute shot that goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak beat away, with Paul Green blazing over the follow-up.
Brighton could have won it in stoppage time as Kenny made a brilliant point-blank save to keep out Will Buckley’s header.
Then came Murphy’s late winner – and a roar that might have been heard as far away as Bates’ Monaco home.
LEEDS: Kenny, Peltier, Lees, Pearce, Warnock, Murphy, Green, Tonge, McCormack, Hunt (Poleon 67), Varney (Smith 83).
BRIGHTON: Kuszczak, Bruno, Greer, Calderon, Upson, Crofts, David Lopez (Agustien 57), Bridcutt, Barnes (Buckley 64), Orlandi (LuaLua 83), Ulloa.
MAN of the MATCH : LUKE VARNEY – the striker looked full of energy and was not afraid to make a nuisance of himself with a performance that typified Leeds’ fighting spirit.
