Leeds United 2 Wigan Athletic 0: McCormack’s double sees Leeds avoid curse of managerless clubs
Yorkshire Post 5/12/13
by Leon Wobschall at Elland Road
TWENTY-FOUR hours after the caretaker-manager effect reaped spectacular dividends for two Championship outfits down on their luck, Leeds United efficiently ensured there was no hat-trick.
While Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday interim-bosses Micky Mellon and Stuart Gray had first outings to savour on Tuesday, Wigan – one of a triumvulerate of second-tier clubs to part company with their managers in the space of two days – weren’t so fortunate. Neither could they have cause for any complaints.
The one smiling at the final whistle was United boss Brian McDermott, left to reflect on a fifth successive home league victory for Leeds, something they last achieved on New Year’s Day.
For his counterpart Graham Barrow, assisted by Sandy Stewart following Monday’s exit of Owen Coyle, there was only more cold comfort.
Just as there was for Oscar Garcia and Aitor Karanka, whose first appointments in charge of Brighton and Middlesbrough were in losing causes at Leeds, inspired yet again by Ross McCormack, whose two goals took his incredible goal glut to nine in his last five outings and 15 for the campaign.
The crazy nature of Championship fortunes may have been seen in numerous coupon-busting results since Saturday, but the recent order remained intact at LS11.
There was unmistakably an air of inevitability about the first scorer too in Scotland striker McCormack.
For the fifth consecutive occasion on home soil, the Scot – fully recovered from a hip niggle sustained at Blackburn at the weekend – did the business on the scoring front to continue his increasingly happy knack.
At this rate, the striker – on target on 15 minutes – will be wanting 2013 to never end, moreso after the game’s clincher 13 minutes from time.
That killer second was initially given to Jason Pearce, but replays showed that no-one got a touch to McCormack’s viciously-swinging free-kick, which was set-piece precision at its best.
That ensured Wigan, FA Cup holders lest we forget, were left to rue a third league defeat on the spin.
And high-profile owner Dave Whelan – who flew in from Barbados ahead of the Latics’ Sunday game with Derby – would have been forgiven for thinking he should have stayed in the Caribbean sun.
The game was no classic, but with the games coming thick and fast in the tail end of calendar years, points are the be-all and end-all and Leeds – proficient at the back throughout and across the park – were full value for yet another home scalp.
One choice visitor in the West Stand was England Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate and while Latics loan duo Will Keane and Nick Powell will have been on his immediate radar, a chance to check out the progress of United teenage talent Alex Mowatt will have also been something in his ‘in-tray’.
The Doncaster-born midfielder didn’t disappoint him, with his quality corner delivery breaking the impasse after a tetchy opening on 15 minutes.
Mowatt’s deep corner was headed back across goal by Tom Lees with McCormack – showing similar predatory awareness to what he displayed in the previous home game against Boro – bundling in from a few yards out.
The ball was cleared from behind the line by the desperate Latics defence, but linesman Chris Akers correctly signalled that it was a goal.
After bringing little offensively to the table, Wigan – and more especially Keane – burst into life either side of the half-hour mark, only for two top-notch blocks by the previously untroubled Paddy Kenny to save the day.
First, an effort from James McArthur spun invitingly into the path of Keane, but the alert Kenny raced out to beat away the close-range effort, ahead of receiving a spot of attention for his exertions.
Soon after, a miscued clearance from Lees unwittingly presented another chance to the Manchester United loanee, watched by Leeds earlier this autumn, but the evergreen United goalkeeper again showed terrific reactions to deny him.
At the other end, Mowatt dragged a half-volley wide before the half ended with a close shave for United when visiting skipper Emerson Boyce headed a presentable chance off target following a dangerous inswinging corner from Jean Beausejour.
A competitive encounter ensued on the restart, with chances at a premium early on as Leeds sought to protect their gains.
Lees was off beam with one chance after a Marius Zaliukas shot was charged down before McCormack’s meaty effort was punched away by ex-Leeds keeper Scott Carson, restored to the Lancastrians’ line-up.
Little substantive came from Wigan’s young duo of Powell and Keane, who were eventually substituted and while the muscular introduction of Grant Holt added ballast, his impact was minimal. His rival targetman Matt Smith spurned a great chance to wrap things up on 74 minutes after dispossessing Ivan Ramis, but the big striker – minutes after nodding a header wide – shot straight at Carson, with McCormack and Luke Murphy either side of him awaiting a tap-in.
But McCormack spared his blushes not long after to provide home comforts for the vast bulk of the 25,888 midweek crowd.
by Leon Wobschall at Elland Road
TWENTY-FOUR hours after the caretaker-manager effect reaped spectacular dividends for two Championship outfits down on their luck, Leeds United efficiently ensured there was no hat-trick.
While Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday interim-bosses Micky Mellon and Stuart Gray had first outings to savour on Tuesday, Wigan – one of a triumvulerate of second-tier clubs to part company with their managers in the space of two days – weren’t so fortunate. Neither could they have cause for any complaints.
The one smiling at the final whistle was United boss Brian McDermott, left to reflect on a fifth successive home league victory for Leeds, something they last achieved on New Year’s Day.
For his counterpart Graham Barrow, assisted by Sandy Stewart following Monday’s exit of Owen Coyle, there was only more cold comfort.
Just as there was for Oscar Garcia and Aitor Karanka, whose first appointments in charge of Brighton and Middlesbrough were in losing causes at Leeds, inspired yet again by Ross McCormack, whose two goals took his incredible goal glut to nine in his last five outings and 15 for the campaign.
The crazy nature of Championship fortunes may have been seen in numerous coupon-busting results since Saturday, but the recent order remained intact at LS11.
There was unmistakably an air of inevitability about the first scorer too in Scotland striker McCormack.
For the fifth consecutive occasion on home soil, the Scot – fully recovered from a hip niggle sustained at Blackburn at the weekend – did the business on the scoring front to continue his increasingly happy knack.
At this rate, the striker – on target on 15 minutes – will be wanting 2013 to never end, moreso after the game’s clincher 13 minutes from time.
That killer second was initially given to Jason Pearce, but replays showed that no-one got a touch to McCormack’s viciously-swinging free-kick, which was set-piece precision at its best.
That ensured Wigan, FA Cup holders lest we forget, were left to rue a third league defeat on the spin.
And high-profile owner Dave Whelan – who flew in from Barbados ahead of the Latics’ Sunday game with Derby – would have been forgiven for thinking he should have stayed in the Caribbean sun.
The game was no classic, but with the games coming thick and fast in the tail end of calendar years, points are the be-all and end-all and Leeds – proficient at the back throughout and across the park – were full value for yet another home scalp.
One choice visitor in the West Stand was England Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate and while Latics loan duo Will Keane and Nick Powell will have been on his immediate radar, a chance to check out the progress of United teenage talent Alex Mowatt will have also been something in his ‘in-tray’.
The Doncaster-born midfielder didn’t disappoint him, with his quality corner delivery breaking the impasse after a tetchy opening on 15 minutes.
Mowatt’s deep corner was headed back across goal by Tom Lees with McCormack – showing similar predatory awareness to what he displayed in the previous home game against Boro – bundling in from a few yards out.
The ball was cleared from behind the line by the desperate Latics defence, but linesman Chris Akers correctly signalled that it was a goal.
After bringing little offensively to the table, Wigan – and more especially Keane – burst into life either side of the half-hour mark, only for two top-notch blocks by the previously untroubled Paddy Kenny to save the day.
First, an effort from James McArthur spun invitingly into the path of Keane, but the alert Kenny raced out to beat away the close-range effort, ahead of receiving a spot of attention for his exertions.
Soon after, a miscued clearance from Lees unwittingly presented another chance to the Manchester United loanee, watched by Leeds earlier this autumn, but the evergreen United goalkeeper again showed terrific reactions to deny him.
At the other end, Mowatt dragged a half-volley wide before the half ended with a close shave for United when visiting skipper Emerson Boyce headed a presentable chance off target following a dangerous inswinging corner from Jean Beausejour.
A competitive encounter ensued on the restart, with chances at a premium early on as Leeds sought to protect their gains.
Lees was off beam with one chance after a Marius Zaliukas shot was charged down before McCormack’s meaty effort was punched away by ex-Leeds keeper Scott Carson, restored to the Lancastrians’ line-up.
Little substantive came from Wigan’s young duo of Powell and Keane, who were eventually substituted and while the muscular introduction of Grant Holt added ballast, his impact was minimal. His rival targetman Matt Smith spurned a great chance to wrap things up on 74 minutes after dispossessing Ivan Ramis, but the big striker – minutes after nodding a header wide – shot straight at Carson, with McCormack and Luke Murphy either side of him awaiting a tap-in.
But McCormack spared his blushes not long after to provide home comforts for the vast bulk of the 25,888 midweek crowd.