| Home
From The Gallowgate
From The Leazes
Fixtures Lists
Match Report
Month That Was
Squad Profiles
History
Club Info
Stats
Photo Page
Photo2 Page
Photo3 Page
|
|
MATCH REPORT - FIRST HALF
Leeds United 0-3 Newcastle United
Kieron Dyer 17'
Kieron Dyer 48'
Alan Shearer 54'
COMING INTO THE GAME:
As expected, Shola Ameobi and Lomana Lua Lua both made way from the starting line-up in attack for the return of Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy to the side after they sat out the mid week Champions League game with Leverkusen through suspension. Ameobi dropped to the bench but Lua Lua, after picking up a knock in Germany didn't take part in the team. So this meant Michael Chopra kept his place on the bench for the team. Jermaine Jenas picked up an achilles injury during the week so Brian Kerr started ahead of him on the right side of midfield and Andy Griffin made his return to first team action after a spell on the sidelines through injury. He replaced Olivier Bernard who was suspended for the game.
OPENING EXCHANGES:
We won a corner as early as the 1st minute when Aaron Hughes put Leeds right back Danny Mills under pressure. The out-swinging corner was taken by Robert but Leeds dealt with it rather easily, but their clearance oly went as far as Kerr who sent the ball back into the box but Robinson claimed his cross without trouble. Leeds soon had us under pressure as Kewell made a forward run and played Wilcox in on the left but his drive was off target.
Laurent Robert decided to try his luck from distance not long after but his shot was well of target. Leeds came up the other end and won a free kick 30 yards out after Bramble fouled Kewell but Gary Kelly's free kick was comfortably saved by Given. After a good move envolving Dyer and Robert, the ball came to Bellamy on the edge of the 18 yard box but he scuffed his shot wide. We then won a corner on the right after some good work from kerr but again the corner amounted to nothing as Okon rose well to head the ball clear.
GOAL!
17 minutes into the game Kieron Dyer put us a goal up with wonderful finish from an acute angle. Dyer latched onto the ball after some neat work from Alan Shearer and Dyer blastered the ball straight past Robinson.
Harry Kewell should have levelled the score just 3 miutes later as he rounded Given but his shot was blocked on the line by Andy Griffin. As the half progressed, Leeds started to press forward and both Andy O'Brien and Aaron Hughes had to work well together to keep Alan Smith from getting a shot in on goal. A free kick to Leeds moments later presented Leeds with a good chance for Danny Mills but he fired his free kick wide. Soon after Bellamy was on the ground after receiving a whack from Mills, which was not the first time it happened in the game neither. But Bellamy was able to continue after some treatement.
CLOSING MINUTES:
O'Brien fouled Jason Wilcox soon after near the sideline, and the resultent free kick came to nothing more than a goal kick as Duberry met the cross but couldn't get his header on target. Over the last few minutes Leeds had all the possession as Newcastle chose to defend to hold onto the lead until the half and it worked as for all Leeds' possesion they couldn't create a decent chance to level the game. |
|
|
MATCH REPORT - SECOND HALF
HALF TIME THOUGHTS:
Happy enough with the first half as we were leading which was the important thing. We kept the ball well and put Leeds under pressure though we needed to be a little more clinical in-front of goal and we maybe could have had a 2 goal lead instead of 1. Happy with the defending, the one time Leeds opened us up Griffin made sure to get back to block the ball on the line which is good to see. One thing needed to be adressed though was the fouls in dangerous area's. We gave Leeds a few chances with free kicks in good positions but luckily for us their finishing wasn't up to standard.
OPENING MINUTES:
Leeds brought on James Milner for Jason Wilcox at the start of the half while we remained the same. But it was us who started the quicker as we put Leeds under pressure immediately, Sir Bobby clearly telling the boys lets go out and try to grab an early goal to kill off the Leeds resistance.
GOAL!
Bramble played a long ball up the field and after Shearer collected and passed the ball onto Bellamy, Bellamy made a forward run before laying the ball off to Dyer. Dyer then had time to just pick his spot, and he did, with a curling effort into the bottom corner of the goal.
GOAL!
Things went from good to great shortly after as Shearer notched up another goal to his name this season. Laurent Robert went on a run down the left touchline and after he was fouled by Mills, he picked himself up to take the free kick. Robert whipped the ball in and picked out Alan Shearer who out-jumped Duberry to power a header past Robinson in the Leeds goal to make it 3-0.
Soon after Leeds were on the attack as the ball was played through for Kewell to chase but Given read it well and ran out of his box to boot the ball clear. Soon after we were in behind their defence as Kerr played a through ball for Shearer but the referee's assistant had his flag up to call Shearer offside. Mid-way through the half Given was in action again to deny Kewell a goal. A Paul Okon free kick was sent but Given saved from Kewell's point blank shot and the rebound Kewell sent into the side netting.
Kieron Dyer with 19 minutes to go came bitterly close to his hat-trick. As Dyer went on a run he cut inside Mills and placed the ball past Robinson only to see his effort come back off the post to deny him his hat-trick. Leeds went down the other end of the pitch minutes later and looked destinned to pull a goal back when Barmby drove a shot low towards the bottom corner of the goal but Given got down well to deny Barmby and from the corner the Irish international collected the ball comfortably.
CLOSING EXCHANGES:
We made a double change with 9 minutes to go as man of the match Dyer came off with Acuna coming on in his place and mid week hero Shola Ameobi came on for the hard working Brian Kerr. Not long after Dabizas too came on the pitch as he replaced Andy Griffin who had done well on his return from injury.
Over the last few minutes though we managed to create a few good chances. Bellamy went on a run down the right and he flashed a ball across the face only to see everyone miss the ball, Robert picked it up wide on the left and he whipped in a cross only for Shearer to head just wide. Shearer thought he had given us a 4-0 win with a couple of minutes to go as Ameobi took a shot which Robinson saved and Shearer then tapped the rebound home only for the assistant to raise his flag for offside. Ameobi then got the last chance of the match as Shearer put him through with acres of space but he shot straight at Robinson so 3-0 it stayed.
|
|
MATCH REPORT - PLAYER RATINGS
STARTING LINE-UP:
GK - Shay Given - 8.5, great saves to deny Leeds
RB - Andy Griffin - 7, good showing on return
CB - Andy O'Brien - 7.5, job well done
CB - Titus Bramble - 7.5, strong at the back as usual
LB - Aaron Hughes - 7, good effort, did well
RM - Brian Kerr - 7, good hard working dsplay
CM - Kieron Dyer - 9, man of the match performance
CM - Gary Speed - 7.5, solid battling display as usual
LM - Laurent Robert - 8, created a few good chances
ST - Alan Shearer - 8, Good goal, and solid as usual
ST - Craig Bellamy - 7.5, Good performance as usual
SUBSTITUTES:
GK - Tony Caig - Did not play
CB - Nikos Dabizas - 3, no time to make impact
CM - Clarence Acuna - 5, did well in short time on pitch
ST - Shola Amobi - 6.5, did very well in limited time
ST - Michael Chopra - Did not play
|
|
|
