Sponsored by
Leeds United: The Max factor sparks Leeds United to rout of Yeovil Town
Different season, same old story for Yeovil Town.
"I'm getting sick of this walk," said Terry Skiverton as he entered the press room at Elland Road. He is not the only one. These days, opposition managers are there for no other reason than to carry out post mortems.
In February, Leeds United took hold of a fragile Yeovil squad and beat them senseless. The fight was more even on Saturday but the result identical, a 4-0 scoreline in United's favour for the second season running. "I've come a cropper again," said Skiverton quietly.
That is the way of things at Elland Road, even when Leeds are as inanimate as they were for an hour on Saturday. If Skiverton saw a ruthless streak in the club eight months ago, he could only marvel at the skill with which they dragged a conclusive victory from a fluctuating performance.
Leeds fell some way below the standard of perfection, a fact which should depress the rest of League One, assuming that United's seven-point lead at the top of the division has not done that already.
For 41 minutes, there was nothing discernible between the teams. With an hour gone, the only difference was a deflected cross from Bradley Johnson that navigated its way into Yeovil's net, no doubt to the bemusement of Phil Parkinson.
Charlton Athletic's manager has taken the view that League One's leaders are knee-deep in luck; a fair portrayal of Johnson's goal, maybe, but an inadequate way to describe the final half-hour in which Skiverton's team were set upon.
The consolation for Yeovil's manager was found in the fact that his players were better than the scoreline. Considerably better than last season also. But try as they might, the majority of League One's clubs are losing touch with Leeds, bowing to a team who are comfortably clear of the field and worlds apart in terms of resources and potential.
In spite of the one-goal lead given to them unintentionally by Johnson, United were beginning to lose their way again with 59 minutes played.
Simon Grayson sensed as much and called upon two substitutes, one signed recently from the Championship and another who played in the Premier League three years ago. The effect was profound.
For as long as they have been a League One club, Leeds have possessed one of the largest and most expensive squads in the division. Grayson's ability to make the most of his resources – applying the theory of horses for courses – has been a positive feature of his tenure as manager, and his proactive nature influenced Saturday's result.
His midfield was toiling with an hour gone so Neil Kilkenny was sent on to exert control in that area of the pitch. He did so immediately. Max Gradel – United's loan signing from Leicester City – had the job of expanding a line-up deprived of width, and the winger scored 10 minutes after appearing from the bench.
In that brief passage of play, the game was settled and Leeds were free to indulge in champagne football.Jermaine Beckford scored a third goal in the 79th minute, tucked beyond Yeovil goalkeeper Alex McCarthy with nonchalant class, and Tresor Kandol beat McCarthy again four minutes after replacing Beckford.
It was an uncharitable experience for Skiverton, whose players did not mask their annoyance. When the full-time whistle arrived, a brief and unnecessary scuffle broke out in the centre circle.
For Leeds, the good news continued to come. Charlton had lost away to Carlisle United, and Millwall were hanging on for a victory over Colchester United.
By the time Grayson's squad resume their league season in two weeks' time, they will do so with a promising lead and every reason to think that their feeling of comfort will increase this month.
Successive
"The only time I'll be happy being seven points clear is when we've got two games to go," said Grayson, unwilling to tempt fate.
It is the line he must stick to, but successive 4-0 victories in the space of five days are stamps of approval on an exceptional season to date. By the time Kandol scored the fourth goal on Saturday, it was churlish to claim that the win as a whole had been fortuitous.
Nevertheless, Johnson's goal arrived at a time when Leeds seemed strangely incapable of threatening McCarthy through conventional means.
Yeovil's keeper had not had a save to make until the 38th minute, when he moved to gather a Johnson free-kick, but he was put in peril by a cross from the midfielder which struck Shaun MacDonald as it flew towards the box.
The deflection diverted the ball into the path of Beckford who stuck out a foot, failed to make any contact but distracted McCarthy enough to allow it to bounce past both players and into the far corner of the net.
When Andy Welsh incurred the game's first yellow card a minute later by thrashing the ball downfield following the award of a free-kick, his anger revealed how badly stung Yeovil had been by Johnson's goal.
Welsh and Ryan Mason, a teenager of precocious talent recruited on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, had otherwise done all they could to keep Leeds busy, creating the only other chances of note before half-time.Mason's chipped pass worked Jon Obika in behind Grayson's defence, but Casper Ankergren faced the striker down and pushed his volley away with both hands.
Welsh's free-kick on 24 minutes dropped on to the head of Craig Alcock, who struggled to control his finish and watched the ball bounce wide.
Johnson's cross did what neither Obika or Alcock had been able to do and produced a goal which was not exactly on the cards. Skiverton argued that an earlier tackle by Andrew Hughes on Obika should have resulted in a penalty, but few of his players appealed for it.
As the second half gathered speed, Grayson began to wonder where a second goal would come from and quickly deduced that a fresh approach was needed.
Kilkenny replaced Michael Doyle and Gradel exchanged a handshake with Andrew Hughes, ready to torment Yeovil as he had Norwich City a fortnight earlier.
He had already examined Skiverton's defence with one searching run when Leigh Bromby broke down the right wing and cut the ball back to Gradel, inviting the winger to slip his marker and drive a left-footed shot past McCarthy.
A second goal was bound to open the floodgates, and it did.
Beckford curled a delightful finish around McCarthy after anticipating Robert Snodgrass' flicked header and leaving Terrell Forbes in a heap, and Kandol arrived with perfect timing to bury a Snodgrass cross on 84 minutes.
"They're the best team we've played," Skiverton admitted, the latest in a line of managers who have said the same.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
