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Leeds United: City outfoxed by Snodgrass
Leeds United 1 Leicester City 1 The turning of the tide? Simon Grayson must tentatively hope so as the dust settles on his first, electrifying game as Leeds United's manager.
Nothing more than a victory over Leicester City – League One's leaders and champions-elect – would have encompassed a true change in the footballing recession that has taken hold of Leeds, but a draw achieved in the final seconds at Elland Road yesterday was the next best thing.
Four minutes away from their sixth defeat in as many games, United rose to the occasion of their new manager's induction and scored a 90th-minute goal which secured the club a welcome point, their first accrued from a league game since November 22.
Robert Snodgrass' far-post finish changed the mood of a stadium which was packed to the rafters for Grayson's first appearance, three days after his appointment as United's boss, but which, for more than an hour, had felt the sinking sensation experienced too regularly by his predecessor, Gary McAllister.
Leicester were within distance of recording a 1-0 victory over Leeds and, with fully 90 minutes gone, had done as much as they could to protect the narrow lead given to them in the first half by Matt Oakley.
The fourth-official led Nigel Pearson's team into the home straight by indicating four minutes of stoppage-time, but Jonathan Howson immediately dinked a cross over Leicester's six-yard box and left Snodgrass to ignite three-quarters of Elland Road's biggest crowd of the season.
Recruited from Blackpool on Tuesday in slightly contentious circumstances, Grayson had completed only two training sessions before yesterday's match, and it was perhaps inevitable that traits which ended McAllister's reign were apparent again, namely a nervous defence and an impotent attack.
But as telling as a performance which appeared largely second-best when compared to Leicester's was the mindset of a team who refused to accept defeat as inevitable with 90 minutes gone. Grayson found an appropriate reaction to his appointment and, after three days in charge, it was as much as he could realistically have asked for.
The sobering reality for the 39-year-old is an unflattering league table that was not improved by United's draw with the division's leaders. Leeds, in fact, are further away from the play-off places than they were on day of McAllister's sacking.
Yesterday's match, however, was the most challenging debut imaginable for United's boss, a fixture with the potential to go badly wrong. Emerging from it without defeat was an important first step forward, of which their must be many more.
Leicester’s visit to Yorkshire was picked out by McAllister at the start of the season as the choice fixture in Leeds’ schedule, but the fact that he failed to survive as manager for long enough to see it meant City could smell blood in United’s waters.
The six successive victories carried by Leicester told in the 15-point advantage they held over Leeds before kick-off, a margin that their manager, Nigel Pearson, will not expect to see United erode, regardless of Snodgrass’ late goal.
Grayson delayed announcing his line-up to his new squad until the afternoon of Boxing Day, and the most encouraging revelation was the inclusion of Jermaine Beckford and Andy Robinson.
The effect of losing of both players to hamstring tears a month ago was keenly felt by Leeds and McAllister, but although their return came a week too late to aid Grayson’s predecessor, the availability of Beckford and Robinson helped to add bite to a team who had grown sadly toothless in the final hours of McAllister’s tenure.
Physical
Grayson was confident enough in the players he had assessed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to make five changes, and the attitude of his squad during a physical, feisty opening period showed the conviction which had been sorely missed in Milton Keynes last weekend.
Leicester’s tactics, as expected, were expansive and positive, but they found Leeds in an identical frame of mind. Though it took 15 minutes for either team to create a chance to shoot, the frame of City’s goal was shaken when United did.
Robinson’s deep cross hung in the air as Leicester goalkeeper Dave Martin waited for it to drop, and a flick off the head of David Prutton left the visitors’ net unprotected. Luciano Becchio swung a foot at the ball and produced a powerful shot which cracked against the base of Martin’s left-hand post.
It was a crucial moment, increased in importance when Leicester scored at the end of their first penetrating attack in the 24th minute.
Matty Fryatt, League One’s top scorer, collected possession in midfield and broke away from both Lubomir Michalik and Rui Marques, avoiding the latter’s attempt to knock him off balance and feeding Oakley, who stroked home a clinical finish from the edge of United’s box.
His confident strike forced Grayson to contemplate the position that McAllister had found himself in repeatedly as his sacking crept nearer, and Leeds took time to recover from the set-back.
Fryatt was almost allowed to increase Leicester’s lead when Frazer Richardson misjudged a hopeful pass and played the striker onside 12 yards from goal, but Richardson redeemed himself to a point when he broke into Leicester’s half and produced a powerful shot which Martin pushed wide with his fingertips.
Though the attempt on City’s goal failed to yield an equaliser, it eased the hold which Leicester had placed on the game after Oakley’s finish and allowed Leeds to proceed to half-time safely.
Danger
Having beaten Peterborough United 4-0 last weekend, there was a genuine danger after 24 minutes that Leicester would take their cue for another heavy win.
The biggest frustration for Leeds was their failure to play a rusty-looking Beckford into the match, and his first chance did not arrive until injury-time in the first half when he volleyed Prutton’s lobbed pass several yards beyond Martin’s goal.
A better opening was created two minutes after the interval when Robinson slipped the ball to Becchio, whose shot bordered on a cross and faded wastefully over Martin’s bar, but Leicester – organised by the excellent Aleksandar Tunchev at the centre of defence – did not often bow to the strain placed on them by Leeds.
Martin’s weak punch under a high delivery from Alan Sheehan presented Andrew Hughes with a difficult opportunity on 65 minutes which United’s first substitute volleyed over the bar with a solitary Leicester player guarding their goalline, but the game began to run away from Leeds as City played their way cautiously through the last half-hour.
The contest had reached the end of its 90th minute when, with the atmosphere growing despondent, substitute Robert Snodgrass sparked pandemonium inside Elland Road by racing in at the far post to crash home a cross from Jonathan Howson, another of Grayson’s effective second-half introductions.
Snodgrass’ goal came too late to bring a winner but early enough to allow Grayson to believe that the first brick of the project he intends to resurrect is now in place, ready to be built upon.
United: Ankergren, Richardson, Michalik, Marques, Sheehan, Prutton (Hughes 57), Douglas (Snodgrass 77), Delph, Robinson (Howson 77), Becchio, Beckford. Subs (not used): Lucas, Kilkenny.
Leicester City: Martin, Gilbert, Hobbs, Tunchev, Berner, Oakley, Andy King, Davies, Dyer, Howard, Fryatt (Dickov 85). Subs (not used): Morrison, Adams, Powell, Cisak.
Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire).
Attendance: 33,580.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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