Post by Taxigirl on May 9, 2006 8:34:34 GMT
www.leedsunited.com/report
Venue
Deepdale
Kick-Off Time
08 May 2006 7:45pm
Referee
Mike Thorpe
Preston North End
Starting XI
22Nash, Carlo
14Mears, Tyrone
4Davis, Claude
2Alexander, Graham
5Mawene, Youl
8O`Neil, Brian
16McKenna, Paul
17Ormerod, Brett
31Stewart, Marcus
10Nugent, David
11Dichio, Danny
Substitutes
12Ward, Gavin
28Wilson, Kelvin
7Sedgwick, Chris
15Whaley, Simon
9Agyemang, Patrick
Leeds United
Starting XI
1Sullivan, Neil
2Kelly, Gary
26Kilgallon, Matthew
3Crainey, Stephen
8Gregan, Sean
15Richardson, Frazer
21Derry, Shaun
17Miller, Liam
20Douglas, Jonathan
11Lewis, Eddie
10Hulse, Rob
Substitutes
14Stone, Steve
19Bakke, Eirik
9Healy, David
28Blake, Robbie
25Cresswell, Richard
Pre-Match
Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell made two changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Preston on Friday evening.
Eirik Bakke and David Healy both dropped down to the bench whilst in their places came Jonathan Douglas and Frazer Richardson. Healy's withdrawal left Rob Hulse as the only recognisable striker on the pitch - the intention was that Eddie Lewis and Richardson would support him down either flank.
On the bench United could boast the striking riches of Healy, Richard Cresswell and Robbie Blake, whilst Steve Stone was also there with Bakke. It meant no space on the bench for a reserve goalkeeper.
Preston, who were visibly delighted with their draw at Elland Road, made just the one change with Jason Jarrett missing out and former Ipswich and Huddersfield Town striker Marcus Stewart playing instead.
The Match
Leeds came under some early pressure from the home side but defensively they looked strong and the signs were that fans of both sides were in for a long, nervous and uncomfortable evening.
The home side suffered an early blow as injury forced them into making a substitution.
Brett Ormerod, who spent a month on loan with the Whites last season, was taken out by a Jonathan Douglas tackle that saw the striker leave the field on a stretcher just eight minutes into the game. Simon Whaley took his place.
That incident sparked a number of more unsavoury goings-on in the game; Gregan and Dichio became involved in a personal battle and an Eddie Lewis challenge on Claude Davis also saw the Preston defender require treatment. It antagonised the crowd and Lewis in particular became public enemy number one for the same fans who used to cheer him every week.
The first shot on goal in the game itself didn't come until the 24th minute - and it was a great effort by Frazer Richardson.
Hulse had won the ball and found the winger, Richardson then managed to turn and run with the ball before hitting a dipping half-volley that was just a bit too close to Carlo Nash as the keeper made a theatrical save.
On the half hour Shaun Derry became the first player to go into the referee's notebook. A lunging challenge on Marcus Stewart was enough to earn him the yellow card.
Five minutes before the break Preston had their best chance of the half. Whaley's cross was pefectly placed for the header from Dichio - but the big striker sent it well wide from 12-yards out.
When Nugent and Kilgallon became entangled inside the Leeds penalty area at the end of the half tempers flared again and two more yellow cards were produced, one each. Both sides would have to watch themselves in the second half or someone would be missing the final.
The start of the second half was delayed by 25-minutes after a power failure hit the ground almost immediately after the half time whistle went. Fortunately the lights did come back on and the threat of having to return to Deepdale at a later date was lifted. Preston made a change at half-time, Patrick Agyemang came on for Stewart.
Shaun Gregan was next to be booked after he blocked off Nugent's run, just after Preston had been forced to clear with Richardson swinging in a dangerous cross that Hulse was nearly on the end of.
Leeds had grown in stature in the second half and eventually were rewarded on 56 minutes with the opening goal of the game.
Douglas' corner was whipped in at head height and Hulse met it with a glancing header that diverted the ball past Nash into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
It was the spark the game needed and although the Deepdale crowd tried to lift their team, it was not long before United were celebrating again.
Just after the hour a piece of quick thinking from Liam Miller on the run caused most of the damage, Hulse knocked the ball on Richardson at the back post and the winger took his time before hitting the shot. It looked at first as if the keeper had saved it, but the ball squirmed loose under his body and the net was bulging again.
At 2-0 Leeds fans could start thinking about their trip to the Millennium Stadium.
Preston were given a lifeline on 69 minutes when Stephen Crainey was sent off for two yellow cards - both of them picked up in the space of five minutes.
The first one came after the first Leeds goal and was for dissent, the second saw him bring down Nugent and he knew his evening - and his dream of appearing in the play-off final - was over.
Liam Miller was also booked for his protests to the referee. When the free-kick was eventually taken, Nugent shot was turned away by Sullivan, the first real save he had to make all night.
With just over 12 minutes left to play Richard Cresswell came on for Rob Hulse and was given a hostile reception on his Deepdale return. It didn't take him long to become another victim of referee Mick Thorpe, picking up a booking within a minute of coming on.
Preston were celebrating on 82 minutes after believing they had a goal back but it was to prove premature. The flag had gone up before Tye Mears had headed the cross past Sullivan.
Douglas was booked for an altercation with the goalkeeper with less than eight minutes left and the game was descending into an ugly mess. Leeds had it won but Preston were not about to let them advance to the final lightly.
The night did end on a slightly sour note for Leeds when Cresswell was sent off.
Cresswell saw his second yellow - and an automatic red card - for kicking the ball away at a free-kick. It would not be third time lucky at a Play-Off final for the striker.
Leeds though had done what they had promised to do - win at Preston, and five years after their Champions League semi-final defeat to Valencia, Kevin Blackwell and his merry men had given the United fans something to smile about again.
MAN OF THE MATCH
THE ONLINE POLL
44% Eirik Bakke LOL, ERRRRR?
;D
16% Rob Hulse
8% Matthew Kilgallon
7% Stephen Crainey
6% Frazer Richardson
5% Eddie Lewis
2% Neil Sullivan
2% Sean Gregan
2% Gary Kelly
2% David Healy
2% Liam Miller
1% Shaun Derry
1% Richard Cresswell
1% Robbie Blake
1% Jonathan Douglas
1% Steve Stone
Venue
Deepdale
Kick-Off Time
08 May 2006 7:45pm
Referee
Mike Thorpe
Preston North End
Starting XI
22Nash, Carlo
14Mears, Tyrone
4Davis, Claude
2Alexander, Graham
5Mawene, Youl
8O`Neil, Brian
16McKenna, Paul
17Ormerod, Brett
31Stewart, Marcus
10Nugent, David
11Dichio, Danny
Substitutes
12Ward, Gavin
28Wilson, Kelvin
7Sedgwick, Chris
15Whaley, Simon
9Agyemang, Patrick
Leeds United
Starting XI
1Sullivan, Neil
2Kelly, Gary
26Kilgallon, Matthew
3Crainey, Stephen
8Gregan, Sean
15Richardson, Frazer
21Derry, Shaun
17Miller, Liam
20Douglas, Jonathan
11Lewis, Eddie
10Hulse, Rob
Substitutes
14Stone, Steve
19Bakke, Eirik
9Healy, David
28Blake, Robbie
25Cresswell, Richard
Pre-Match
Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell made two changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Preston on Friday evening.
Eirik Bakke and David Healy both dropped down to the bench whilst in their places came Jonathan Douglas and Frazer Richardson. Healy's withdrawal left Rob Hulse as the only recognisable striker on the pitch - the intention was that Eddie Lewis and Richardson would support him down either flank.
On the bench United could boast the striking riches of Healy, Richard Cresswell and Robbie Blake, whilst Steve Stone was also there with Bakke. It meant no space on the bench for a reserve goalkeeper.
Preston, who were visibly delighted with their draw at Elland Road, made just the one change with Jason Jarrett missing out and former Ipswich and Huddersfield Town striker Marcus Stewart playing instead.
The Match
Leeds came under some early pressure from the home side but defensively they looked strong and the signs were that fans of both sides were in for a long, nervous and uncomfortable evening.
The home side suffered an early blow as injury forced them into making a substitution.
Brett Ormerod, who spent a month on loan with the Whites last season, was taken out by a Jonathan Douglas tackle that saw the striker leave the field on a stretcher just eight minutes into the game. Simon Whaley took his place.
That incident sparked a number of more unsavoury goings-on in the game; Gregan and Dichio became involved in a personal battle and an Eddie Lewis challenge on Claude Davis also saw the Preston defender require treatment. It antagonised the crowd and Lewis in particular became public enemy number one for the same fans who used to cheer him every week.
The first shot on goal in the game itself didn't come until the 24th minute - and it was a great effort by Frazer Richardson.
Hulse had won the ball and found the winger, Richardson then managed to turn and run with the ball before hitting a dipping half-volley that was just a bit too close to Carlo Nash as the keeper made a theatrical save.
On the half hour Shaun Derry became the first player to go into the referee's notebook. A lunging challenge on Marcus Stewart was enough to earn him the yellow card.
Five minutes before the break Preston had their best chance of the half. Whaley's cross was pefectly placed for the header from Dichio - but the big striker sent it well wide from 12-yards out.
When Nugent and Kilgallon became entangled inside the Leeds penalty area at the end of the half tempers flared again and two more yellow cards were produced, one each. Both sides would have to watch themselves in the second half or someone would be missing the final.
The start of the second half was delayed by 25-minutes after a power failure hit the ground almost immediately after the half time whistle went. Fortunately the lights did come back on and the threat of having to return to Deepdale at a later date was lifted. Preston made a change at half-time, Patrick Agyemang came on for Stewart.
Shaun Gregan was next to be booked after he blocked off Nugent's run, just after Preston had been forced to clear with Richardson swinging in a dangerous cross that Hulse was nearly on the end of.
Leeds had grown in stature in the second half and eventually were rewarded on 56 minutes with the opening goal of the game.
Douglas' corner was whipped in at head height and Hulse met it with a glancing header that diverted the ball past Nash into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
It was the spark the game needed and although the Deepdale crowd tried to lift their team, it was not long before United were celebrating again.
Just after the hour a piece of quick thinking from Liam Miller on the run caused most of the damage, Hulse knocked the ball on Richardson at the back post and the winger took his time before hitting the shot. It looked at first as if the keeper had saved it, but the ball squirmed loose under his body and the net was bulging again.
At 2-0 Leeds fans could start thinking about their trip to the Millennium Stadium.
Preston were given a lifeline on 69 minutes when Stephen Crainey was sent off for two yellow cards - both of them picked up in the space of five minutes.
The first one came after the first Leeds goal and was for dissent, the second saw him bring down Nugent and he knew his evening - and his dream of appearing in the play-off final - was over.
Liam Miller was also booked for his protests to the referee. When the free-kick was eventually taken, Nugent shot was turned away by Sullivan, the first real save he had to make all night.
With just over 12 minutes left to play Richard Cresswell came on for Rob Hulse and was given a hostile reception on his Deepdale return. It didn't take him long to become another victim of referee Mick Thorpe, picking up a booking within a minute of coming on.
Preston were celebrating on 82 minutes after believing they had a goal back but it was to prove premature. The flag had gone up before Tye Mears had headed the cross past Sullivan.
Douglas was booked for an altercation with the goalkeeper with less than eight minutes left and the game was descending into an ugly mess. Leeds had it won but Preston were not about to let them advance to the final lightly.
The night did end on a slightly sour note for Leeds when Cresswell was sent off.
Cresswell saw his second yellow - and an automatic red card - for kicking the ball away at a free-kick. It would not be third time lucky at a Play-Off final for the striker.
Leeds though had done what they had promised to do - win at Preston, and five years after their Champions League semi-final defeat to Valencia, Kevin Blackwell and his merry men had given the United fans something to smile about again.
MAN OF THE MATCH
THE ONLINE POLL
44% Eirik Bakke LOL, ERRRRR?
;D16% Rob Hulse
8% Matthew Kilgallon
7% Stephen Crainey
6% Frazer Richardson
5% Eddie Lewis
2% Neil Sullivan
2% Sean Gregan
2% Gary Kelly
2% David Healy
2% Liam Miller
1% Shaun Derry
1% Richard Cresswell
1% Robbie Blake
1% Jonathan Douglas
1% Steve Stone
