Mighty Leeds Weblog

Yorkshire Evening Post 18/8/14 David Hockaday secured his first league victory as Leeds United head coach and then vowed to vindicate Massimo Cellino’s controversial decision to pick him for the job at Elland Road. United got their season moving with a dramatic 1-0 win over Middlesbrough on Saturday, earned by an 88th-minute goal from new signing Billy Sharp and produced seven days after a dismal opening day at Millwall. Hockaday and his players came in for criticism after a 2-0 loss at The Den but a competitive performance against Boro saw Sharp claim three points with a poacher’s effort. Hockaday, whose previous job in professional football was as manager of non-league Forest Green Rovers, said he was “proud” of Saturday’s victory and “fortunate” to be occupying the position of head coach at Leeds. The 56-year-old was an obscure appointment when Cellino unveiled him as his replacement for former boss Brian McDermott in June, but Hockaday said: “I want to prove the president righ...

Yorkshire Evening Post 18/8/14 by Phil Hay Years in the making, days of dreaming and a winning goal after 88 minutes in Leeds United colours. This was Billy Sharp’s calling and no mistake; made in Yorkshire and made for Leeds. The shirt came off as the ball went in and the fat lad from Sheffield was up and running. Leeds United are up and running. Massimo Cellino once described the club as a jumbo jet he was trying to push but he and Leeds have momentum at last. In strangely apt fashion, the Italian greeted the end of Saturday’s win over Middlesbrough with a casual two-fingered salute. Leeds United, so often, are all about him but it will never fall to Cellino to tuck the ball away from six yards or defend as Liam Cooper, another of his new signings, did against Boro. It dawned on Cellino last week that he was neglecting the football and falling short in the transfer market, something he promised never to do. Saturday was pay-back for time and money thrown at it. By the time he j...

Yorkshire Evening Post 18/8/14 by Phil Hay Billy Sharp launched his Leeds United career with a decisive goal against Middlesbrough and said: “I dreamed of that moment.” The striker lit up his debut by claiming an 88th-minute winner at Elland Road on Saturday, handing United their first win of the Sky Bet Championship season. Sharp, who joined Leeds from Southampton on a two-year deal last week, pounced on a late error by Middlesbrough goalkeeper Tomas Mejias to settle a tight match in dramatic style. The 28-year-old forward was booked for taking his shirt off during a euphoric celebration in front of the Kop – and spoke later of his relief having headed an equally good chance wide 10 minutes earlier. “It’s what dreams are made of,” Sharp said. “I’d dreamed about that for three days. “When I signed last week I was in the stadium, looking at the Revie End and really wanting to score there. “My last goal was for Doncaster at the Revie End and my Dad texted me on Friday to tell me...

Club Call 16/8/14 David Hockaday kept talk of his trigger-happy owner at bay with his first league win as Leeds manager, with Middlesbrough beaten 1-0. By his own admission Hockaday is the 'Mr Nobody' of coaching and speculation had been rife over how long the 56-year-old - who lists Forest Green as the most senior side he has previously managed - would last at the hands of colourful owner Massimo Cellino. The Italian admits he goes through managers quicker than he does clothes and losing at Millwall on the opening day of the Championship campaign was a start Hockday could have done without. But rather than respond with a P45, Cellino bought him three players and one of them, Billy Sharp, scored an 88th-minute winner to sink Boro. "It was a tough game, there were quite a few chances and it took a goal poacher to sneak the win," Hockaday said. "Boro are a good team, one of the form teams, and to come away with a clean sheet and three points, I can't ask ...

Vital Leeds 16/8/14 Leeds United first team coach says he couldn`t have asked for any more as Leeds secured their first win of the season against Middlesbrough. Striker Billy Sharp scored the only goal of the game on his debut with just two minutes remaining and Hockaday was pleased with a great team performance. Speaking to Sky Sports, Hockaday said, "It took a goal poacher to sneak the win for us. "To come away with a clean sheet and the three points, I cannot ask for any more. "It was a great team performance for a young inexperienced team." Sharp had already had Leeds best chance of the game when he headed wide with just twelve minutes remaining but he made no mistake ten minutes later when he was first to react after the Middlesbrough goalkeeper could only parry the ball. In a tight game of very few clear-cut chances, Middlesbrough will complain after Albert Adomah had a goal disallowed in the first half. Adomah scored with a bicycle kick but referee Stu...

Yorkshire Post 16/8/14 by Nick Westby Billy Sharp, who has made a habit of scoring late winners in his career, grabbed another on his Leeds United debut to give the Whites a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough in the Yorkshire derby. The former Doncaster Rovers, Sheffield United and Southampton striker, who only joined the Elland Road club on Wednesday, pounced three minutes from time with a trademark poacher’s goal. Middlesbrough goalkeeper Tomas Meijas spilled Michael Tonge’s 20-yard strike and Sharp was on hand to slide in and steer home the rebound. The scoreline may have a been a little harsh on Middlesbrough - who had a first-half goal wrongly ruled out for a high foot - but it was a game that was there for the taking and typical of Sharp that he would be the man to decide it. The 28-year-old’s dramatic intervention gave Dave Hockaday the first win of his reign as head coach and also lifted some of the negativity that had hung over Elland Road since his inauspicious appointment in t...

Yorkshire Evening Post 16/8/14 by Phil Hay Billy Sharp struck in the dying minutes to cap his Leeds United debut with a dramatic winner against Middlesbrough. The striker - a midweek signing from Southampton - popped up to tap home the rebound from Michael Tonge’s shot and settle a tight contest on 88 minutes. A game of few chances looked set to end in stalemate at Elland Road, with Boro aggrieved about a disallowed effort from Albert Adomah midway through the first half. But Sharp delighted a crowd of less than 25,000 with a poacher’s goal in front of the Kop. The striker and Liam Cooper were handed full debuts by David Hockaday after joining Leeds on Wednesday, and Sharp could have scored with his first touch of the ball. Nicky Ajose played him clean through in the second minute and though goalkeeper Tomas Mejias dived in to block his effort, Ajose wasted a good chance on the rebound by stroking a week shot against Daniel Ayala on the line. They were rare opportunities in a f...