Leeds 2 Bournemouth 1: Relief for United as overdue victory is delivered
Yorkshire Post 2/10/13
LEEDS United manager Brian McDermott may have been loathe to refer to last night’s encounter as being of the must-win variety, but it certainly came close.
After playing for two-thirds of the game against 10 men after the 31st-minute dismissal of Bournemouth goalkeeper Ryan Allsop, the world’s best spin doctor would have struggled to dress up failure to pocket a badly-needed victory against opponents with the worst goals against record on the road in the Championship.
The victory McDermott and the vast majority of the 21,749 spectators craved was – eventually – delivered, thanks to a precious 79th-minute goal from subsitute Dominic Poleon, who struck eight minutes after coming on to replace Noel Hunt.
The relief was truly palpable for United, although their die-hard fans were put through the mill at times as they maintained their 100 per cent record over their Dorset visitors. It was not, however, straightforward.
It looked like being so when Allsop received his marching orders after being penalised for felling the on-rushing Hunt, with United handed a penalty for good measure.
But Ross McCormack, the man Leeds fans would have put their mortgage on delivering, fluffed his lines with his effort saved expertly by 34-year-old substitute goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan, making his first appearance since April 2012.
McCormack made amends with an opener eight minutes after the restart, only for Bournemouth to potentially turn a drama for the Whites into something lurching towards a mini crisis when ex-Rotherham United man Lewis Grabban levelled in the 73rd minute.
However, Poleon came to the rescue for the hosts and while the evening still provided plenty of questions as opposed to answers regarding the direction of United’s season, winning – by any means – was paramount in order to stop the rot.
United’s attacking cohesion was not exactly that of a well-oiled machine, but the Cherries’ jittery defence was breached twice on an evening when endeavour and heart were in plentiful supply, but quality invariably short.
United, who recalled Paul Green, Tom Lees and Hunt at the expense of Luke Murphy, Scott Wootton and Luke Varney, had been challenged to start brightly by McDermott in a bid to get the lifeless second-half display at the New Den firmly out of their system.
For the Whites manager, it was actions and hard work he was seeking from a squad who had a sombre coach ride home from Millwall on Saturday following their 2-0 defeat.
The work-rate that he considers as a given, but was worryingly absent in the second 45 minutes against the Lions, was there last night, as were plenty of energy and bite in the shape of home debutant Alex Mowatt and Green.
But unfortunately, at the business end, United looked every inch a side bereft of goalscoring penetration as their drought in front of goal continued, despite attempting to hammer down the door in a frenzied spell of action ahead of the interval.
They could not say fate had not dealt them a fine hand, by virtue of the dismissal just after the half-hour mark of Allsop.
But McCormack was denied in splendid fashion by Flahavan, diving low to his left, with Elliott Ward clearing the rebound before Michael Tonge could get there.
Earlier, McCormack had the hosts’ best chance after benefiting from a deflection off Rudy Austin, only for Allsop to block his effort.
After Allsop saw red, United knocked on the door several times before the break, with desperate defensive work and timid finishing denying them.
After Mowatt’s close-range shot was parried, both Green and Tonge hesitated in front of goal before Austin’s shot was diverted over with the half ending with more wastefulness when Hunt bundled a free-kick from McCormack wide.
It was building up to be a frustrating evening for the hosts, but United kept at it and got their rewards after the restart when Mowatt released Stephen Warnock, whose excellent cross was dispatched by the faintest of touches from McCormack, who was no doubt delighted to make amends for his spot-kick miss.
A man light, Bournemouth’s attacks were in isolation with Jack Collison seeing a curling shot held by the under-employed Paddy Kenny – but the one clear opportunity they would have arrived 17 minutes from time.
A free-kick from ex-Whites defender Ian Harte was nodded on by Euan O’Kane with Grabban nipping in to convert from close range.
Stunned, United aimed to redress the balance with brilliant reactions from the ever-green Flahavan denying Austin before Poleon arrived right on cue to volley home after ex-Cherries centre-half Jason Pearce headed the impressive Mowatt’s cross into his path.
LEEDS United manager Brian McDermott may have been loathe to refer to last night’s encounter as being of the must-win variety, but it certainly came close.
After playing for two-thirds of the game against 10 men after the 31st-minute dismissal of Bournemouth goalkeeper Ryan Allsop, the world’s best spin doctor would have struggled to dress up failure to pocket a badly-needed victory against opponents with the worst goals against record on the road in the Championship.
The victory McDermott and the vast majority of the 21,749 spectators craved was – eventually – delivered, thanks to a precious 79th-minute goal from subsitute Dominic Poleon, who struck eight minutes after coming on to replace Noel Hunt.
The relief was truly palpable for United, although their die-hard fans were put through the mill at times as they maintained their 100 per cent record over their Dorset visitors. It was not, however, straightforward.
It looked like being so when Allsop received his marching orders after being penalised for felling the on-rushing Hunt, with United handed a penalty for good measure.
But Ross McCormack, the man Leeds fans would have put their mortgage on delivering, fluffed his lines with his effort saved expertly by 34-year-old substitute goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan, making his first appearance since April 2012.
McCormack made amends with an opener eight minutes after the restart, only for Bournemouth to potentially turn a drama for the Whites into something lurching towards a mini crisis when ex-Rotherham United man Lewis Grabban levelled in the 73rd minute.
However, Poleon came to the rescue for the hosts and while the evening still provided plenty of questions as opposed to answers regarding the direction of United’s season, winning – by any means – was paramount in order to stop the rot.
United’s attacking cohesion was not exactly that of a well-oiled machine, but the Cherries’ jittery defence was breached twice on an evening when endeavour and heart were in plentiful supply, but quality invariably short.
United, who recalled Paul Green, Tom Lees and Hunt at the expense of Luke Murphy, Scott Wootton and Luke Varney, had been challenged to start brightly by McDermott in a bid to get the lifeless second-half display at the New Den firmly out of their system.
For the Whites manager, it was actions and hard work he was seeking from a squad who had a sombre coach ride home from Millwall on Saturday following their 2-0 defeat.
The work-rate that he considers as a given, but was worryingly absent in the second 45 minutes against the Lions, was there last night, as were plenty of energy and bite in the shape of home debutant Alex Mowatt and Green.
But unfortunately, at the business end, United looked every inch a side bereft of goalscoring penetration as their drought in front of goal continued, despite attempting to hammer down the door in a frenzied spell of action ahead of the interval.
They could not say fate had not dealt them a fine hand, by virtue of the dismissal just after the half-hour mark of Allsop.
But McCormack was denied in splendid fashion by Flahavan, diving low to his left, with Elliott Ward clearing the rebound before Michael Tonge could get there.
Earlier, McCormack had the hosts’ best chance after benefiting from a deflection off Rudy Austin, only for Allsop to block his effort.
After Allsop saw red, United knocked on the door several times before the break, with desperate defensive work and timid finishing denying them.
After Mowatt’s close-range shot was parried, both Green and Tonge hesitated in front of goal before Austin’s shot was diverted over with the half ending with more wastefulness when Hunt bundled a free-kick from McCormack wide.
It was building up to be a frustrating evening for the hosts, but United kept at it and got their rewards after the restart when Mowatt released Stephen Warnock, whose excellent cross was dispatched by the faintest of touches from McCormack, who was no doubt delighted to make amends for his spot-kick miss.
A man light, Bournemouth’s attacks were in isolation with Jack Collison seeing a curling shot held by the under-employed Paddy Kenny – but the one clear opportunity they would have arrived 17 minutes from time.
A free-kick from ex-Whites defender Ian Harte was nodded on by Euan O’Kane with Grabban nipping in to convert from close range.
Stunned, United aimed to redress the balance with brilliant reactions from the ever-green Flahavan denying Austin before Poleon arrived right on cue to volley home after ex-Cherries centre-half Jason Pearce headed the impressive Mowatt’s cross into his path.
