Monday 19th May: So, two weekends in a row without a musical night out, no new CD purchases and finishing two more SF Masterworks which, being honest, just weren't that exciting, has left me with little to write about.
Except football...
A week ago tonight was the first leg of the League One play-off semi-final. A game which saw nearly 36,000 fans heap expectation on Leeds United when they took on Carlisle at Elland Road. Your could almost hear the scorn reverberating around the stadium - "OK, so we haven't got the 15 points back and we are going to have to get promoted the hard way but you are only Carlisle and there's no way you're going to stop us!!" Imagine the reactions of the few handfuls (not able to sell all their tickets??) of Carlisle fans when the weight of that expectation caused the Leeds players not only to look nervous and play poorly but to concede two goals.
Still Leeds have done nothing this year if not prove that they are a team who will continue playing right to the final whistle. It was in the 96th minute that on-loan Dougie Freedman scrambled the ball into the Carlisle goal, past a keeper who had excelled himself all game, pulling off three or four top class saves, including one that looked impossible.
So, 36,000+ fans left Elland Road feeling happy - the few Carlisle supporters because they were in the driving seat for the home leg to come and the Leeds fans because one goal had changed the whole complexion of that up-coming tie. That must have been the first time that a 2:1 loss was treated almost as a win.
And so, three days later, three of us left work early to set off for the Cumbrian hills and the away leg. Yes, we'd managed to get tickets (long story, ask me sometime...) After Monday night's performance I had told a couple of people that my ideal match would consist of an early goal (to Leeds, obviously), followed by free-flowing, end-to-end football, with a match ending "like the away game at Oldham". For the uninitiated, we won that game 1:0 with pretty much the last kick of the game.
We arrived at Carlisle early and from the wrong exit off the M6, meaning that we had to drive through a town centre which, judging by the number of police in full riot gear, was expecting something akin to a civil war. Damn that Leeds reputation. Anyway, after finding the ground and parking up, we failed to get a beer, enjoyed a bacon roll and headed towards our barrier in the terraces. Vaguely surprisingly, Gary Mac had named an unchanged team, despite most people saying that Johnny Howson had been so bad on Monday that he should be dropped. Once again, Carlisle had failed to sell all their tickets - they really shouldn't be allowed to compete in such "big" games!!
Now, I can't remember all the details of the match (I generally can't do that as I walk away, let alone a few days after) but, bizarrely enough, we scored the opener, through Johnny Howson, after ten minutes. So far, I was half right with my "ideal match" scenario. After that the football, at on Leeds' part, was much improved. It now seemed as though Carlisle had the weight of expectation (although, given the number of fans, it was a fraction of the weight) and it looked as though it had affected them as it affected Leeds at Elland Road.
For the next eighty minutes, the football was free-flowing and attacking - we worked their keeper, we hit the woodwork, they forced us to make one save. Then, as the minutes ticked away and the end of the match moved inexorably closer, I began to think that, just maybe, my ideal match would have consisted more of three or four early goals. I was getting more nervous and, as the fourth official indicated just one minute of added time, it looked as though we were heading towards extra time. Then the ball fell to a certain 19-year-old Howson at the edge of Carlisle's penalty area. His left foot swung and with a somewhat less than clean shot, he put the ball into the back of the net for the second time that night. A quick glance at the scoreboard behind us (while celebrating, obviously) showed that we were into the 91st minute. Surely the local lad had propelled Leeds into the Wembley final.
The referee allowed Carlisle one more attack, which petered out, before blowing the final whistle and sending the 1,600 travelling fans into ecstasy. Yes, we were kept in the group after the game had ended and the home fans departed. Yes, it was a two-hour drive home. Yes, we still didn't manage to get a beer.
But it was all worth it. Wembley here we come.
To be continued...
Showing posts with label Johnny Howson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johnny Howson. Show all posts
Monday, 19 May 2008
Sunday, 3 February 2008
Mac's Back (pt II)
Saturday 2nd February: Work shifts, family and finances meant the I was an absent member of the Friday Night Music Club this weekend - a review of the York music scene can be found here.
So, for the second time this week, I'm going to write about Leeds United. As anybody who read my last entry (or the newspapers, or just follows football in general) knows, this was Gary McAllister's first game in charge - a home match against Tranmere Rovers.
Added to the players previously signed by Dennis Wise before his move to Newcastle were Bolton defender Lubo Michalik (why he dropped two divisions and was able to be bought for just £200k, we don't know), and prolific Stockport striker Anthony Elding. Darren Kenton, previously a loanee, signed for us full-time and defender Alan Sheehan was brought in on loan. Of those four, all but Sheehan started the game, as did a returning Johnny Howson. Missing were defenders Fraser Richardson and Paul Huntingdon, midfielder Neil Kilkenny and 'keeper Casper Ankergren.
Any new manager must be looking at the pros and cons of his side and, I have to admit, there were few cons. In fact, there was an almost total lack of confidence, conviction and (in some cases) control. As to the pros, there were few of them as well. Howson did well in midfield - he always seems to have more time than anybody else and manages to pick out his passes most of the time, unlike David Prutton who just seems to lump the ball forward without looking.
New striker Elding got a reasonably good first-half shot away, which seemed to calm his nerves. As much as commentators point out that, to a lot of First Division players, the large Elland Road crowds can be intimidating, I would have thought that the same would be true for a player like Elding who, not that long ago, was a part-time player with a proper job.
However, we lacked invention and goal-scoring opportunities, whilst Tranmere seemed to have both and, after a goal-less first half, they dominated and scored the only two goals of the game. Leeds slipped out of the play-off spots for the first time since they got into them, eventually ending the day in eight place. It's now five games since our last win.
At the moment, it's hard to see where any wins are going to come from. Opposing teams seem to have worked us out now and we are less of a "scary" opposition then we were at the start of the season. McAllister had only had three days with the players and you can't expect things to change overnight but you also can't help feeling that there is a lot of work to do. Hopefully he will think that he can change our fortunes with the players we have as I, for one, don't want to see another raft of loanees coming in. After all, the players that Wise signed in January were brought in with a view to playing in the Championship next season, so they should be good enough to get us there.
So, for the second time this week, I'm going to write about Leeds United. As anybody who read my last entry (or the newspapers, or just follows football in general) knows, this was Gary McAllister's first game in charge - a home match against Tranmere Rovers.
Added to the players previously signed by Dennis Wise before his move to Newcastle were Bolton defender Lubo Michalik (why he dropped two divisions and was able to be bought for just £200k, we don't know), and prolific Stockport striker Anthony Elding. Darren Kenton, previously a loanee, signed for us full-time and defender Alan Sheehan was brought in on loan. Of those four, all but Sheehan started the game, as did a returning Johnny Howson. Missing were defenders Fraser Richardson and Paul Huntingdon, midfielder Neil Kilkenny and 'keeper Casper Ankergren.
Any new manager must be looking at the pros and cons of his side and, I have to admit, there were few cons. In fact, there was an almost total lack of confidence, conviction and (in some cases) control. As to the pros, there were few of them as well. Howson did well in midfield - he always seems to have more time than anybody else and manages to pick out his passes most of the time, unlike David Prutton who just seems to lump the ball forward without looking.
New striker Elding got a reasonably good first-half shot away, which seemed to calm his nerves. As much as commentators point out that, to a lot of First Division players, the large Elland Road crowds can be intimidating, I would have thought that the same would be true for a player like Elding who, not that long ago, was a part-time player with a proper job.
However, we lacked invention and goal-scoring opportunities, whilst Tranmere seemed to have both and, after a goal-less first half, they dominated and scored the only two goals of the game. Leeds slipped out of the play-off spots for the first time since they got into them, eventually ending the day in eight place. It's now five games since our last win.
At the moment, it's hard to see where any wins are going to come from. Opposing teams seem to have worked us out now and we are less of a "scary" opposition then we were at the start of the season. McAllister had only had three days with the players and you can't expect things to change overnight but you also can't help feeling that there is a lot of work to do. Hopefully he will think that he can change our fortunes with the players we have as I, for one, don't want to see another raft of loanees coming in. After all, the players that Wise signed in January were brought in with a view to playing in the Championship next season, so they should be good enough to get us there.
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Music 0, Football 1
Friday 16th November: No trip out to see any bands tonight - the guys didn't fancy anything on at Fibbers, so were heading to the Roman Bath to see Freeway. They are a heavy metal covers band which, under normal circumstances, would be well within my tastes. The problem with the Bath is that the bands don't start until sometime after 9pm (usually), which means that my usual plan of catching the last bus home means quite a strange time-out-to-travelling ratio and could lead to me missing the end of the show. Given that I had been out for three Fridays in a row, I decided to give this one a miss.
Saturday 17th November: Leeds United v Swindon Town. A couple of pre-match pints were livened up when some of the local "yoof" saw that quite a few Swindon fans had found their way to our watering hole. Nobody inside seemed to mind, even when they started singing their team's virtues and predicting a 2:1 victory. However, being of little brain, those outside decided to throw multiple somethings at the windows, causing a surge to the bar (in case anything decided to come straight through) and a bit of a scare for the ladies sitting next to said windows. Fortunately, the police appeared in record time and no further trouble ensued.
On the pitch, Leeds managed a 2:1 victory - the Swindon fans getting the score right but result wrong. One nil up at half time, after Beckford's penalty and with Swindon looking poor (but their keeper looking good), we looked to be very capable of winning by a margin until the second half started and Matt Heath was passed down the wing as if he was standing still. Three Swindon players were queuing up in the box to equalise. The lead was restored just a few minutes later when Johnny Howson played a long pass out to Tresor Kandol, who knocked the ball down to Beckford to score his second. As good a goal as you will see in this league. Swindon did have the ball in the net a second time towards the end, but it was disallowed for off-side. Good job, really, as the ball was definitely put over the line by hand and the "scorer" would almost certainly have been sent off.
A card-happy referee spoiled the game a little, but Howson was a revelation. Not somebody I would normally class as a Dennis Wise player, he managed to run our midfield better than anybody else has this season - spraying balls out in all directions and riding tackles like a seasoned pro, belying his relative youth. Leeds ended the day in fourth place. My guess is we'll be top well before Christmas.
Saturday 17th November: Leeds United v Swindon Town. A couple of pre-match pints were livened up when some of the local "yoof" saw that quite a few Swindon fans had found their way to our watering hole. Nobody inside seemed to mind, even when they started singing their team's virtues and predicting a 2:1 victory. However, being of little brain, those outside decided to throw multiple somethings at the windows, causing a surge to the bar (in case anything decided to come straight through) and a bit of a scare for the ladies sitting next to said windows. Fortunately, the police appeared in record time and no further trouble ensued.
On the pitch, Leeds managed a 2:1 victory - the Swindon fans getting the score right but result wrong. One nil up at half time, after Beckford's penalty and with Swindon looking poor (but their keeper looking good), we looked to be very capable of winning by a margin until the second half started and Matt Heath was passed down the wing as if he was standing still. Three Swindon players were queuing up in the box to equalise. The lead was restored just a few minutes later when Johnny Howson played a long pass out to Tresor Kandol, who knocked the ball down to Beckford to score his second. As good a goal as you will see in this league. Swindon did have the ball in the net a second time towards the end, but it was disallowed for off-side. Good job, really, as the ball was definitely put over the line by hand and the "scorer" would almost certainly have been sent off.
A card-happy referee spoiled the game a little, but Howson was a revelation. Not somebody I would normally class as a Dennis Wise player, he managed to run our midfield better than anybody else has this season - spraying balls out in all directions and riding tackles like a seasoned pro, belying his relative youth. Leeds ended the day in fourth place. My guess is we'll be top well before Christmas.
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