Steven
Active Member
From www.lufc.co.uk
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The Match
An action packed opening quarter of an hour to this game saw Leeds come back from a goal down and see an opposition player sent off for the second game in a week.
Just like the Watford game on the Tuesday night, the early signs from this game were that another thriller lay in store.
Leicester gave notice of their attacking intent early on when a a pass from Matty Fryatt found striker Iain Hume in a good position but he elected to cross instead of taking the chance on himself and the ball sailed away from danger.
With less than five minutes on the clock though the Fixes made the breakthrough after Eirik Bakke conceded a free-kick 25-yards out.
Jonathan Douglas stopped the low driven ball by Gudjonsson but he wasn't able to prevent Hume from getting hold of the ball, taking it wide of Stephen Crainey and firing off a low shot that somehow managed to squirm past Sullivan.
The Walkers Stadium crowd erupted and could sense another success at their new stadium, where Leeds had been well beaten on their two previous visits, but their elation was short-lived.
Five minutes later Rob Hulse chased a long punt forward with Foxes skipper Patrick McCarthy and after the bounce went his way, found himself goalside and when the challenge from the Leicester defender took his legs away, the penalty decision was made easy for referee Ray Olivier.
McCarthy was given his marching orders for his part in the penalty decision and he was barely off the pitch when Robbie Blake stepped up and scored his second penalty in a week and his tenth goal of the season.
Although back on level terms and with a man advantage over their hosts, Leeds were soon reminded of the fact that Leicester are ready to fight for their lives in this division.
To win the game United would have to remain disciplined and Shaun Gregan did not help matters by picking up a yellow card with quarter of an hour gone after blocking off Hume. To make matters worse that is now Gregan's 10th yellow card of the season and he now faces a two match suspension.
Before long he was joined in the book by Liam Miller who swung out a boot and caught former United man Alan Maybury after the ball had gone.
Chances were coming for Leeds though, almost at twice the rate they were picking up yellow cards, and Bakke saw two opportunities miss the target.
His first was a low shot that dipped and went just wide of the left hand post from the edge of the penalty area after good work by Robbie Blake. Then he got good contact on the end of Kelly's corner but his header went over the bar.
Leicester had produced some threatening crosses but nothing Sullivan could not deal with comfortably.
Ten minutes into the second half and the referee made anothe contentious decision when Eddie Lewis went down as he chased a ball played ahead of him. He got back to his feet expecting to be awarded a free-kick and instead found a yellow card waiting for him.
Eirik Bakke had looked off the pace in his first game back in a Leeds shirt and it came as no surprise when he was substituted before the hour.
David Healy came on for him and Blackwell changed the formation to 4-4-2 with Healy joining Hulse as the forward pairing with Blake taking up position on the right wing.
It was Blake who nearly found himself on the end of the best chance Leeds had created in the game. Gregan's long pass was neatly headed down into Blake's path by Rob Hulse but it was just cut out in the nick of time or Blake would have been clear on goal.
The ten men of Leicester fired off a warning shot when Hughes hit one wide from the edge of the area.
Lewis's crossing was causing the Foxes no end of problems and they came close to conceding an own goal when the ball sliced off the head one time Leeds trialist Patrick Kisnorbo and went just over the bar.
Leeds were then camped inside the Leicester half and forced corner after corner out of the home side but were either unable to find a finish or found or thwarted by more 'unusual' refereeing decisions.
Ian Moore replaced Robbie Blake after 70 minutes, giving him exactly the same amount of time to make an impression on the scoresheet as he had the previous week at Derby.
Stephen Crainey was fortunate not to give away a penalty when he clearly appeared to tug substitute Chris O'Grady's shirt inside the penalty area when he had no real need to. They have been given for less.
With just over five minutes to go before full time Leeds should have gained the lead after creating one of their best chances of the game.
Healy's cross saw the keeper miss it under pressure from Hulse, it fell for Lewis at the back post and he played it back across the face of goal for Miller to fire home - except the midfielder sliced his shot terribly and a golden opportunity had gone.
David Healy had a late shot at goal that sailed well wide of the right hand post, and with it went United's hopes of another three points.
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