Post by Taxigirl on Oct 2, 2005 16:48:30 GMT
www.leedsunited.com/report.asp?fxid=278189&clid=2&title=Matchreport+Watford+vs+Leeds%20United&navlid=matches
Pre Match
United boss Kevin Blackwell was forced into making one change for the trip to Vicarage Road after Richard Cresswell sustained serious injury in Wednesday night's win over Derby County.
Cresswell's place was taken by the man who came on and replaced him, Robbie Blake, who got the nod ahead of David Healy who was available again after serving a three match suspension.
There was a further change in defence with Matthew Kilgallon making his first start in the league this season, replacing Stephen Crainey at left-back.
The Match
Leeds began in confident mood, passing the ball around well and swiftly repelling any Watford attacks, but neither side created any clear chances in the early stages.
It was the first time Leeds had faced Matthew Spring since the midfielder's move to Vicarage Road, and he appeared to be a focal point for a lot of Watford's play.
With seven minutes on the clock the space opened up for Spring some 25-yards from goal, but just as he appeared ready to make his point to his former employers, he cut a pass straight out of play instead of taking the shot.
The nearest either side came to a goal was when Kelly headed a hanging cross over his own goal to take it away from Watford loan signing Gabriel Agbonlahor.
The match came alive after 25 minutes when Robbie Blake carved open a gilt-edged chance for Rob Hulse....but Lady Luck, as manager Kevin Blackwell likes to call it, certainly wasn't on his side this time.
Blake did the hard work on the right flank, taking the ball to the byline where he beat one defender and played the ball past the keeper to Hulse on the penalty spot.
It looked certain that the striker would make it four goals in a week when he shot low and hard but the ball hit the right hand post and then rolled along the line and hit the left hand post and still wouldn't go in before Malky Mackay cleared it for Watford.
If Hulse tried to do the same thing a thousand times he probably still wouldn't be able to. At least though the near miss woke both teams up and the game improved.
Leeds had a final chance to take the lead just before half-time when Blake was pulled down 25-yards out for a free-kick. He got up and took it himself blasting the ball low and hard at the wall where it took a deflection on its way to goal but was still comfortably gathered up by the keeper.
No changes at the break, the second half started off just as dull as the first.
The home side were first to threaten when Anthony McNamee chipped forward a ball that a Watford boot was just inches away from connecting with before it came through to Sullivan.
Leeds then won a number of corners, mostly from Richardson crosses, but could not create a decent chance from any of them.
Blackwell made a chance after 53 minutes, bringing David Healy on for Robbie Blake, and giving the Northern Ireland international his first game after serving a three match ban picked up for his sending off down the road at Queens Park Rangers.
Healy got a weak header in on goal from a Gary Kelly cross that the keeper dealt with easily, and it looked as if the boredom would continue. A few minutes later he shot into the side-netting.
Leeds made a second change after 65 minutes, bringing Danny Pugh on for Eddie Lewis.
Shaun Gregan became the first player to be booked when he blocked the run of Watford sub Francino Francis.
Ashley Young nearly fired the home side ahead with a strike that went under Butler's legs but was well seen by Sullivan who made the save look comfortable.
With time fast running out, and ideas too it would seem, Leeds should have done better when Richardson crossed into a penalty area swarming with White shirts, but the ball went behind them all and Danny Pugh snatched at his shot and the keeper saved.
Ian Moore came on for Rob Hulse in the dying minutes, with Hulse unlucky not to find the net again for goal number 7 of the season.
In the end neither side were able to break the deadlock and a point was duly received by Kevin Blackwell's men and those of his former coach, Adie Boothroyd.
Venue
Vicarage Road
Kick-Off Time
01 October 2005 3:00pm
Attendance
16,050
Officials
Referee
Curson
Watford
Starting XI
26Foster, Ben
2Chambers, James
4MacKay, Malky
12Doyley, Lloyd
3Stewart, Jordan
10Devlin, Paul
25Spring, Matthew
8Mahon, Gavin
19McNamee, Anthony
15Young, Ashley
36Agbonlahor, Gabriel
Substitutes
1Chamberlain, Alec
7Fletcher, Carl
27Grant, Joel
28Francis, Francino
33Benjamin, Trevor
Leeds United
Starting XI
1Sullivan, Neil
2Kelly, Gary
6Butler, Paul
26Kilgallon, Matthew
15Richardson, Frazer
8Gregan, Sean
20Douglas, Jonathan
21Derry, Shaun
11Lewis, Eddie
10Hulse, Rob
28Blake, Robbie
Substitutes
13Bennett, Ian
12Pugh, Danny
16Einarsson, Gylfi
9Healy, David
22Moore, Ian
Watford
No Cautions Given
Leeds United
Sean Gregan, 75, Unsporting behaviour
Watford
Gabriel Agbonlahor, 65
Francino Francis, 65
Anthony McNamee, 72
Joel Grant, 72
Leeds United
No Substitutions Made
The online vote
22% Rob Hulse
14% Matthew Kilgallon
11% Frazer Richardson
8% Eddie Lewis
7% Gylfi Einarsson
5% Jonathan Douglas
5% Robbie Blake
5% David Healy
4% Sean Gregan
4% Shaun Derry
4% Neil Sullivan
3% Danny Pugh
3% Gary Kelly
2% Paul Butler
2% Ian Bennett
1% Ian Moore
Pre Match
United boss Kevin Blackwell was forced into making one change for the trip to Vicarage Road after Richard Cresswell sustained serious injury in Wednesday night's win over Derby County.
Cresswell's place was taken by the man who came on and replaced him, Robbie Blake, who got the nod ahead of David Healy who was available again after serving a three match suspension.
There was a further change in defence with Matthew Kilgallon making his first start in the league this season, replacing Stephen Crainey at left-back.
The Match
Leeds began in confident mood, passing the ball around well and swiftly repelling any Watford attacks, but neither side created any clear chances in the early stages.
It was the first time Leeds had faced Matthew Spring since the midfielder's move to Vicarage Road, and he appeared to be a focal point for a lot of Watford's play.
With seven minutes on the clock the space opened up for Spring some 25-yards from goal, but just as he appeared ready to make his point to his former employers, he cut a pass straight out of play instead of taking the shot.
The nearest either side came to a goal was when Kelly headed a hanging cross over his own goal to take it away from Watford loan signing Gabriel Agbonlahor.
The match came alive after 25 minutes when Robbie Blake carved open a gilt-edged chance for Rob Hulse....but Lady Luck, as manager Kevin Blackwell likes to call it, certainly wasn't on his side this time.
Blake did the hard work on the right flank, taking the ball to the byline where he beat one defender and played the ball past the keeper to Hulse on the penalty spot.
It looked certain that the striker would make it four goals in a week when he shot low and hard but the ball hit the right hand post and then rolled along the line and hit the left hand post and still wouldn't go in before Malky Mackay cleared it for Watford.
If Hulse tried to do the same thing a thousand times he probably still wouldn't be able to. At least though the near miss woke both teams up and the game improved.
Leeds had a final chance to take the lead just before half-time when Blake was pulled down 25-yards out for a free-kick. He got up and took it himself blasting the ball low and hard at the wall where it took a deflection on its way to goal but was still comfortably gathered up by the keeper.
No changes at the break, the second half started off just as dull as the first.
The home side were first to threaten when Anthony McNamee chipped forward a ball that a Watford boot was just inches away from connecting with before it came through to Sullivan.
Leeds then won a number of corners, mostly from Richardson crosses, but could not create a decent chance from any of them.
Blackwell made a chance after 53 minutes, bringing David Healy on for Robbie Blake, and giving the Northern Ireland international his first game after serving a three match ban picked up for his sending off down the road at Queens Park Rangers.
Healy got a weak header in on goal from a Gary Kelly cross that the keeper dealt with easily, and it looked as if the boredom would continue. A few minutes later he shot into the side-netting.
Leeds made a second change after 65 minutes, bringing Danny Pugh on for Eddie Lewis.
Shaun Gregan became the first player to be booked when he blocked the run of Watford sub Francino Francis.
Ashley Young nearly fired the home side ahead with a strike that went under Butler's legs but was well seen by Sullivan who made the save look comfortable.
With time fast running out, and ideas too it would seem, Leeds should have done better when Richardson crossed into a penalty area swarming with White shirts, but the ball went behind them all and Danny Pugh snatched at his shot and the keeper saved.
Ian Moore came on for Rob Hulse in the dying minutes, with Hulse unlucky not to find the net again for goal number 7 of the season.
In the end neither side were able to break the deadlock and a point was duly received by Kevin Blackwell's men and those of his former coach, Adie Boothroyd.
Venue
Vicarage Road
Kick-Off Time
01 October 2005 3:00pm
Attendance
16,050
Officials
Referee
Curson
Watford
Starting XI
26Foster, Ben
2Chambers, James
4MacKay, Malky
12Doyley, Lloyd
3Stewart, Jordan
10Devlin, Paul
25Spring, Matthew
8Mahon, Gavin
19McNamee, Anthony
15Young, Ashley
36Agbonlahor, Gabriel
Substitutes
1Chamberlain, Alec
7Fletcher, Carl
27Grant, Joel
28Francis, Francino
33Benjamin, Trevor
Leeds United
Starting XI
1Sullivan, Neil
2Kelly, Gary
6Butler, Paul
26Kilgallon, Matthew
15Richardson, Frazer
8Gregan, Sean
20Douglas, Jonathan
21Derry, Shaun
11Lewis, Eddie
10Hulse, Rob
28Blake, Robbie
Substitutes
13Bennett, Ian
12Pugh, Danny
16Einarsson, Gylfi
9Healy, David
22Moore, Ian
Watford
No Cautions Given
Leeds United
Sean Gregan, 75, Unsporting behaviour
Watford
Gabriel Agbonlahor, 65
Francino Francis, 65
Anthony McNamee, 72
Joel Grant, 72
Leeds United
No Substitutions Made
The online vote
22% Rob Hulse
14% Matthew Kilgallon
11% Frazer Richardson
8% Eddie Lewis
7% Gylfi Einarsson
5% Jonathan Douglas
5% Robbie Blake
5% David Healy
4% Sean Gregan
4% Shaun Derry
4% Neil Sullivan
3% Danny Pugh
3% Gary Kelly
2% Paul Butler
2% Ian Bennett
1% Ian Moore