10 home wins on the bounce can't be ignored - let's hope for a couple more before the season's done.
It was a funny game. We were in charge until the own goal gave one back to them and with it a certain amount of impetous and confidence, but it never really felt like we'd do anything but win either. Despite there being two or three periods in the game when we did nothing but panic and give the ball away. Our two changes were Robinson for the suspended Delph and predictably enough, Beckford in for Dickinson who wasn't even on the bench. Both teams started lively enough, the game being quite hurried from end to end without too many clearcut chances. Johnny Howson hit a beautiful dipping volley from fully 30 yards, on about 10 minutes, that looked from our end to come back off the bar, but the keeper may have got a touch, in which case it was a quality save. Then on 15 minutes Beckford and Snodgrass linked 4 passes between them straight down the middle of the pitch, the final ball from Snodgrass had just the right weight on it to take the ball beyond the last defender, who Beckford ran behind, and he picked his corner with a cute first time finish across the keeper from 12 yards or so. Looked like he clipped it with the outside of his right boot, quality at that angle and pace. Only ten minutes later and we score with a quality goal direct from a corner for them. Caspar catches the thing and immediately feeds the ball to Douglas at right back, he rolls it forwards a couple of touches before launching a 60 yard ball down the right-hand channel for Beckford. He can't quite reach it. Meantime, Kilkenny, who was defending in our box, has run the length of the pitch and appears behind Beckford to pick up the ball which is deep in their box heading for the deadball line, and hits a first time shot low between the keeper's legs. Excellent goal. Unfortunately we were all making so much noise that they immediately come back at us and the calling could not be heard - how's that for "being generous"? A nothing ball pumped forward by Tranmere is coming down about 8 yards outside our penalty area and Sodje - who was otherwise outstanding - flicked a backward header, to where he could have reasonably expected Caspar to be. Unfortunately Capsar was only yards behind him almost on the edge of the box - clearly expecting the ball to clear the defender, or the defender to leave it. The ball looped over the stranded keeper, and bounced well before the 6 yard box, it trundled into the goal. Caspar did come back trying to get to it but was too slow. Would suspect there may be some "turn and sprint 15 yards" exercises in training this week. These things do happen but this really threw the defence for a few minutes. 5 minutes later and a corner from their left comes across the 6 yards box, Caspar is lured from the line, but flaps horribly and never gets anywhere near it, their blue-rinse CForward (all 6ft 5 of him) has a clear header on goal, but manages somehow to head all the way back across to where Sodje at the other post was glad to knock it behind. Shortly after this the big forward played a cute flick on the edge of the box and put their winger clean through. Naylor and Caspar flung themselves at him but he still got his shot off, it ran just wide. For the rest of this half and the early minutes of the second, Tranmere had the majority of the ball and the pressure. Their number 6 having a very good game. Early in the second, which didn't kick off until about 10 past 4, we got a free kick on the left side of midfield. Snodgrass took and curled across the back of the defensive line, Beckford had made a good run to the near post and got a flicked head to it, the ball continued on its way before bouncing up and hitting a startled Becchio in the balls and bouncing in - "not so much a shot on goal as a cannon" said the bloke behind us. The rest of the game was scrappy, notable for our inability to create any clear chances, nor close the game off. One other mention for a superb double save from Caspar which really kept us far enough ahead to be comfortable. ANKERGREN - one minute dreadful, the next, inspirational... DOUGLAS - a very good game - mid-way through the first half, was charging forward to support an attack which petered out, finding himself wrongside and needing to get back he sprinted a good 50 yards to make possibly the sliding tackle of the season, robbing their winger of the ball in our box, and coming away with it...excellent PARKER - quietly efficient - seems to be growing in confidence and competence now that someone is showing some faith in him SODJE - the own goal aside he had a towering game - barely losing any aerial battles with a bloke a full 5 or 6 inches taller than him, all game NAYLOR - solid SNODGRASS - instrumental in creating two goals - but having seen the last three games now, I think he looks to be running on empty - the guy has had a phenomenally good last few months, but he looks knackered. Would be tempted to rest him for the last two games to get fresh for the play-offs. Before playing the ball in for Beckford's goal, every pass had been a bounce straight back to the bloke who had passed it to him... KILKENNY - lovely goal, great running for it - an excellent low key kind of game where he kept the ball ticking over for us. HOWSON - as with Kilkenny, lots of hard work put in, some deft touches, just generally foraging for the ball and keeping it alive. ROBINSON - very quiet - we really missed Delph's industry today - Robbo never really got himself in the game BECCHIO - another goal - lots more hard work - lots more falling over - lots more mis-controlling - the sooner we can get up and sell him on the better for my enjoyment of the game BECKFORD - not fully fit, not as lively as usual, but still there on 15 minutes to bag another big goal for us. ----------------- Johnson - added a bit of competitiveness out on the left... Grella and Hughes - barely touched the ball ---------------- Crowd - pretty quiet, really ------------- Grayson - hard to fault ------------ the toilets were open - for those of you worried about that sort of thing. What money on Leeds vs Millwall as the semi-final..? _______________________________________________ the Leeds List is an unmoderated mailing list and the list administrators accept no liability for the personal views and opinions of contributors. Leedslist mailing list [email protected] http://list.zetnet.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist Visit http://tinyurl.com/ce37mx NOW!
