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Leeds United action replay 1997: Whites blow a golden chance
STRONG START: New Portsmouth chief and future Leeds United boss Terry Venables felt his side were worthy winners at Elland Road in the fifth round of the FA Cup in February 1997.
Leeds United’s run to the fifth round of the FA Cup in 1997 gave the club their best chance of lifting the famous trophy for fully a decade.
Their prospects were enhanced by a pulsating victory in their fourth-round tie at Arsenal, and a home draw against Division One side Portsmouth in the next stage met with the approval of manager George Graham.
His hope was blown to pieces, however, on an afternoon of drama at Elland Road. To Graham’s intense frustration, Portsmouth ran the show and booked their place in the quarter-finals through an 86th-minute strike from Lee Bradbury.
The shock result was a huge boost for former England coach Terry Venables who bought the south-coast club for £1 in the week leading up to the game at Elland Road.
Upset
“If we’d lost or drawn it would have been an injustice,” Venables said. “We deserved to win and I only hope my association with Portsmouth carries on the way it’s started.”
While Portsmouth celebrated a major upset, United rued an opportunity missed.
“With a lot of big sides out, we really fancied our chances,” said midfielder Lee Bowyer. “We played poorly and we’ve been punished for it. Now we’ve got to wait until next year.”
Warning of a difficult day ahead was served after only seven minutes when Bradbury’s cross found Alan McLoughlin who headed home from six yards.
A dreadful surface at Elland Road had been covered in sand in an effort to make it playable and the match inevitably failed to find any rhythm.
“I feel sorry for Leeds having to play on that pitch every week,” said Portsmouth goalkeeper Alan Knight.
“From a keeper’s point of view it’s a complete nightmare trying to kick the ball from back-passes.”
The crowd at Elland Road grew anxious as the first half came and went, and it took Nigel Martyn’s save from a Fitzroy Simpson penalty to deny Portsmouth a stronger advantage at the break.
Bowyer lifted the mood on 52 minutes by guiding a 10-yard shot past Knight but Mathias Svensson converted another Portsmouth chance soon after and Bradbury killed the tie with an easy tap-in.
Bowyer had enough time to pull another goal back but an equaliser was beyond Leeds.
Graham said: “Because of the way we were playing, when we got back to 1-1 I thought ‘I’ll settle for that.’
“Portsmouth came back very strongly and, to be honest, the scoreline flattered us in the end.”
Portsmouth boss Terry Fenwick admitted: “This was a real acid test for us and we stood up to everything Leeds threw at us. It’s a huge result.”
United: Martyn (Dobson 90), Kelly, Dorigo, Palmer, Radebe, Molenaar, Jackson (Rush 79), Wallace, Halle, Deane, Bowyer. Subs (not used): Wetherall, Beeney.
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