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Leeds United: Becks helps Whites move step closer to Wembley
The more organised Whites fans might just start checking out the Super Saver return availability for trains to King's Cross on March 28. If they haven't already.
Yes, Leeds have three games before they can prepare for an early spring date with destiny at Wembley in earnest – and the likes of big West Yorkshire rivals Bradford City along with Carlisle United may have something to say about it yet.
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But the odds on the favourites painting the capital white in the final of a competition disparagingly labelled the "Paint Pot Cup" – and more importantly ending the club's recent hoodoo at the home of football – are getting shorter.
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Rotherham United and Bury had sent the Whites ignominiously spinning out of the competition with their collective tails between their legs in the past two seasons.
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And while in the greater scheme of things, the priority was then – and most definitely is now – promotion, the prospect of a hat-trick of Johnstone's Paint Trophy exits to "lesser lights" wasn't exactly edifying.
That was avoided thanks to an ultimately-convincing Northern Section quarter-final victory against the Mariners, beaten finalists in 2008.
To the Lincolnshire outfit's credit, the outcome wasn't so nailed on after nigh on 40 minutes – with Town producing a performance full of spirit and character which was starting to get under the skin of the home faithful.
The diehard punters would have been forgiven for beginning to believe that they were witnessing a repeat of the unduly laboured display against Darlington in the previous round which left Simon Grayson so livid at the final whistle.
But a dual goal blast ahead of the interval ended Grimsby's meaningful hopes of producing a Goliath-style slaying as inflicted upon the Mariners by Blue Square South minnows Bath City in the FA Cup at the weekend.
A moment of telling quality from Jermaine Beckford applied the coup de grace 10 minutes after the break, although Grimsby were afforded the honour of the goal of the night soon after to wrap up the scoring.
Priority it isn't this term, but a cup's a cup and a grand day out is a grand day out.
Just ask chairman Ken Bates, who saw his former Chelsea charges lift the Zenith Data Systems Cup against Middlesbrough in front of a full house at Wembley in 1990, four years on from beating Manchester City at the same venue.
And just ask Grayson, a winner of the Football League Trophy in its guise of the LDV Vans Trophy when he was winding down his playing days with Blackpool, who beat Southend United 2-0 at the Millennium Stadium in early 2004.
With a break of 11 days following the Mariners' fixture, Grayson didn't have to be mindful of weekend considerations and maintained his pre-game pledge to play a strong side, with seven of the team who started the FA Cup tie at Oldham Athletic taking the field.
Patrick Kisnorbo was a notable absentee after jetting off to link up with his Australian team-mates for their clash with Oman on Saturday – Lubomir Michalik taking his place – while defensive colleague Leigh Bromby was on the subs bench.
Leeds lad Aidan White was handed the perfect 18th birthday present, after being handed a rare start on the left side of defence – with the ever-dependable Andrew Hughes switching to the right.
In midfield, impish winger Max Gradel, who cut a dash as sub in dazzling cameos against Norwich City and Yeovil Town, was elevated to the starting line-up although it remains to be seen whether it's his United swansong.
Jonathan Howson was handed a breather in the engine room while anchorman Michael Doyle served a one-match ban, with Bradley Johnson pushed inside to partner Neil Kilkenny and given a rare opportunity in the centre.
After fielding a 4-3-3 formation at Boundary Park, Grayson reverted to a 4-4-2, with Sam Vokes, ineligible on Saturday, partnering top gun Beckford, an unused sub in the previous round's win over Darlington.
But there was no place on the subs bench for Mike Grella, who found the net late on against Oldham after coming on as a replacement.
Leeds started brightly as Grimsby were forced into defensive duties early on with Adrian Forbes producing an unorthodox clearance to clear Kilkenny's fierce half-volley while almost perched on the floor.
The Mariners, backed by a raucous support from the east coast on their first visit to Elland Road in over a decade, recovered from a tentative start and some neat approach work ended with Jamie Clarke seeing his shot deflected for a corner from a promising position.
A sloppy spell from Leeds further emboldened Town with ex-Whites midfielder Peter Sweeney's curling free-kick gathered by Casper Ankergren as the visitors' confidence grew.
An annoying propensity to fall foul of the linesman's flag undid much of Town's endeavour, with Forbes the chief culprit – and many in caretaker-boss Neil Woods' shoes would have been tempted to throw a rule book in his direction as the half wore on.
Vokes soon headed over following an inviting centre from Hughes before Kilkenny's dipping shot flashed over, but it was more tapping on the door than knocking it down.
While struggling to get out of second gear, you sensed that United – when they got things together and had a "spell" – would deliver something tangible and so it proved in a game-breaking spell.
Leeds made the breakthrough five minutes before the break in somewhat fortuitous circumstances, but it owed much to the effervescence of loan favourite Gradel.
He tied the Town defence in knots for the first time before sending over a fierce cross that flew into the net past the helpless Nick Colgan via the knee of the unfortunate Olly Lancashire.
United went on to claim a two-goal cushion that their performance barely deserved in stoppage-time with a moment of quality, Kilkenny firing home a precise low shot from 20 yards following clever hold-up play from Beckford.
Town – whose last victory at Elland Road was before the outbreak of the Second World War – were left to reflect on a bitter lesson of football being a cruel game at the interval.
Victory was confirmed by a special Beckford moment on 55 minutes.
After being virtually anonymous in the first half, a moment of class saw him bamboozle two Town defenders with a soft shoe shuffle with his sublime close control ending in a delicate low finish following a buccaneering run and pass by Johnson.
Grimsby pulled one back almost immediately and given that Leeds hadn't conceded a goal in over five-and-a-half hours, it might as well have been a cracking one.
Which it was, with Sweeney unleashing a stunner from 25 yards, with his magnificent volley flying in off the underside of the bar.
An excellent cross to the far post by Gradel saw Robert Snodgrass power in a close-range effort that was somehow kept out by Colgan, while the former later shot powerfully into the side-netting as United sought their second successive four-goal haul at home.
At the other end, sub Bradley Wood almost pulled another back for Town, but Ankergren raced out to block.
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Weather for Leeds
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -9 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to -1 C
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