Well there's 1-1 draws and there's 1-1 draws. Having been amongst the most pissed off and doom-laden of supporters following our draws at Luton and Northampton I have to say that not only did I enjoy this game but it left me feeling pretty optimistic. Yes, I realise that it is 2 points lost, added to which it was a "6-pointer" against a fellow promotion rival, but nevertheless I think it was our best team performance for 2 months, if not longer. There was a cohesion and an appetite about our play, at times there was passion and no little skill as well. I have to add that Forest were as good, if not slightly better than us. The game was played at a high tempo and would certainly have graced Div 2. I reckon if we can play like this, or better, for the remainder of the season then we will finish at least 6th, if not higher.
Despite rumours of a return from injury Fraser was only on the bench, so the back 5 continued as Caspar, Kenton, Rui, Lubo and Sheehan. The midfield was Prutton, Hughes, Howson and Johnson with Kandol and Beckford up front. For the first 20 minutes both teams went at it hammer and tongs. Challenges flew in, tackles crunched, some fast - occassionally too fast - football was played and a lot of ground was covered by everyone. In a delightful change to the normal run of things our midfield fought for every inch of ground, we even managed to use the ball to some effect, sometimes - but more importantly we were looking to use the ball well, or keep it - it was particularly noted around us that both Rui and Howson were really pinging passes into feet. There were no underhit hospital balls, or balls thundered out to players giving them no chance to control it. Maybe there's been some work on the training ground. The defence came under pressure, because Forest are no mugs, but they dealt pretty well with most of it. If anything Lubo looked shakier than Rui who it was good to see in a Leeds shirt again. Kenton does get drawn in tight to his CHalf, rather than staying wider as a fullback normally should. Forest had a couple of half chances, one of which produced a decent save from Caspar, the other - a free header - whistled wide. Howson fired in a couple of shots, one of which forced a save. There was pressure at both ends, corners and free kicks and so on. As the half went on it seemed less and less likely that anyone would break the deadlock. The second half started with their number 9 (Tyson) terrorising our left side of defence. He made mugs of both Sheehan and Lubo on different occassions as he stormed through. He produced a good save from Caspar and pulled another effort across the face of goal, which no-one got a foot to. They really should have been 1-0 up by then. Having looked like we were drowning not waving at that point, we slowly started to get back into the game and had a good 5 or 10 minute spell where they couldn't get the ball away from their box. We had corners and free-kicks galore, with half chances and a couple of big penalty shouts - Prutton and Howson - in the main doing the prompting, with Sheehan and Kenton supplying some width - but the ball never quite dropped. The pendulum swung and Forest forced us back down to our end and after a couple of cleared efforts, Commons swung a peach of a ball into the box from their right, which the lad at the back post only had to make contact with to score. The goal was made by Commons' cross - it was fast, swerving, dipping, a nightmare to defend and we failed. The fact that the bloke at the back post was unmarked was almost incidental. The only real way to stop that kind of goal is to stop the cross being made in the first place. Not long after this Caspar made a wonderful save to keep us in it. Tyson was through again, this time the middle of the defence, and he ran on to lob the keeper but somehow Caspar jumped and twisted backwards to get one clawing hand over his head and flick the ball to safety. The action moved down to the Forest goal. Beckford had a flicked header cleared off the line by a wonderful diving-headed clearance - this followed good work by Sweeney. Sweeney came on for Johnson just after Forest's goal, at the same time that Prutton was swapped for Flo, (70 mins). There were more shouts for penalties - one seemingly v good shout denied. Then with 5 minutes to go Kandol got fouled in a huge mess of players going up for a cross. There was an awful lot of push and shove from the Forest defence on the ref (who had been dreadful all night) for which no-one was booked, but after it had all calmed down Beckford stepped up and smacked the penalty home with confidence. Place went mad. A few half chances for each side after this but nothing really clear-cut and all-in-all a draw was a fair result. ANKERGREN - good game - one top draw save added to several other very decent pieces of keeping KENTON - another good-ish game - still looks like a CHalf playing full back - tried gamely to link up with Prutton down the right SHEEHAN - again moments of decent play mixed with schoolboy errors MARQUES - good to see him back - looked to be really on the mark today MICHALIK - some odd wavering moments, generally sound PRUTTON - another decent steady performance without being outstanding - saw quite a lot of the ball wide right - didn't always deliver a good cross though HUGHES - all energy - little mental application HOWSON - our MOTM for me - looked to be stepping up quite nicely to the role of play maker in midfield - has a way to go - but is looking to get more and more involved - good passing, tackling etc - has a good shot on him although he could do to look for alternatives sometimes - needs more dominance for 90 minutes to be really "rated" JOHNSON - didn't see much from him - was on the "wrong side" for where I sit in the first half - and was subbed after 20 in the second KANDOL - at the risk of being provocative - didn't have the best of games, better than some he's had recently, but his physical presence just seems to make more happen for Beckford. Not saying he's our second best forward at all... BECKFORD - cool head for the penalty - nearly scored with the header - prior to this had done little other than argue with the ref/linesman - oh and one sublime dragged back turn on half way that left his marker staring into space... SUBS Flo - really did touch the ball twice Sweeney - brought some thrust and zip to the left Elding - last minute sub --------- Ref - attrocious Crowd - lively - before the match the LUFC website wanted the crowd to get behind the team - during the match the stewards stopped us doing precisely that. Finally, was it just me or did anyone else think that Kandol's new haircut made him look like a knob with a condom just being unfurled, unevenly, around the tip? _______________________________________________ the Leeds List is an unmoderated mailing list and the list administrators accept no liability for the personal views and opinions of contributors. 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