Both sides could have had 5…both were pretty good going forward - they were marginally better at that…both were shocking in defence…but you shouldn’t be losing at home after being 2 up…half of our lot were knackered by 65 minutes…their big number 9 (Deeney?) kept going to the end why can’t ours? He ran the show for them going forward but the 22 and the 3 (when he came on) weren’t far behind.
For us, the first 40 minutes were cracking - Sharp’s goal was on a plate after the defender misread the keeper’s position, tried to nod it back to him, but the keeper was already on his way out…the ball would have gone in had the keeper not made a sort of reflex save, but he only succeeded in putting it in front of Sharp 8 years from an empty goal…Lucas the Kop Cat has scored from more difficult chances. Austin’s was a belter out of nowhere, control and looping thump from the top corner of the box, over the keeper’s head…lovely. But all the time they were flashing the ball all over the place and we were chasing shadows - they cut through the centre of our defence time and time again…Cooper and Bamba struggling to last ditch saving tackles…we needed protection in front of them…Cook or Murphy nowhere defensively but both having good games going forward. Eventually one chance too many and Deeney managed to muscle his way through both Cooper and Bamba...both are big guys and it shouldn’t happen…he just wanted it more…and they get a goal back just before the break. Those two that Sharp had where the ball was played through to him running onto the top of the box with only the keeper in front of him begin to look important misses - he fluffed the ball each time. We start the 2nd half like a train…Austin through one on one - looks unconvincing the keeper saves…the ball balloons, Rudi has another go, his softish shot is on target but cleared off the line…out wide, where it is picked back up (Byram?) fizzes a low cross in, to Sharp’s feet on the front post, he misses the ball…the chance goes…the ball runs out Mowatt tries a curler from 25 which flies past the angle with the keeper rooted… They come back into it - our midfield disintegrates - seriously big holes all over the place…they pass the ball through our defence, 6 forward diagonal passes, each time taking out a Leeds player…until eventually in on goal and 2-2. We’re pushing for a goal, Murphy is making a run straight out of the Eddy Gray vs Burnley school, but he fluffs his final line, loses control, one clearance, to Deeney on halfway, he turns, and rolls the ball through the middle, 40 yards, splits the defence, 22 is onto it, bit of a bundle between him, Silvestri and a defender…he gets a second go, 2-3. Taylor was the only one of the back 5 who had a solid game…Bamba did some decent stuff and some awful stuff… Cook was good driving forward in the second half…Byram was always a threat…Mowatt had a patchy game (dreadful for 10 minutes; then everywhere for the next 10); Murphy was prompting and pushing forward but hopeless defensively… But it is a real pisser of a result - if Watford can sort their defence they will go up…because going forward they have pace, accuracy and clinical finishing and they work like bastards for each other. I lost count of the times a Leeds player looked up and had no-one to pass to. _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email leedslist-unsubscr...@gn.apc.org John 'Grampa' Sykes Rest In Peace old lad 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 MARCHING ON TOGETHER
