22/02/2008 - Leeds United 1, Crewe Alex 1
Gwyn Griffiths reports from Elland Road
Leeds United 1
(Kandol, 86)
Crewe Alex 1
(Maynard, 47)
IF any conclusions can be drawn from Crewe’s battling draw at Elland Road, it may be transfer window changes are not always for the better.
While the Alex management were roundly criticised for failing to beef up their relegation-threatened squad with permanent additions during January, Leeds were busy chasing the aces in the lower leagues.
But despite stocking up with the likes of Crewe deadline-day target Anthony Elding, their downward spiral continues unabated after the defection of Dennis Wise to Newcastle.
New boss Gary McAllister has yet to oversee victory in the four games of his stewardship... and he was mighty lucky not to be on the end of another defeat, so effectively were his side run ragged by Crewe’s breaks in an absorbing second-half show.
On the evidence of Saturday, this pulsating encounter, whose outcome was in doubt right through a nerve-wracking six and more minutes of added time, is likely to be on the fixture list again next season.
Leeds may have to take their chances with their legal action against their 15-point deduction to make the play-offs, while if Crewe reproduce this form they have enough in their locker to steer clear of the fourth-bottom spot.
Of course, the vagaries of football at this level mean nothing can be guaranteed and, while Steve Holland’s men have improved out of all recognition from their pre-February displays, they are still not clinical and ruthless enough to be in the clear yet.
In fact, with their relegation rivals all picking up points at the weekend they find themselves back in the bottom four because Gillingham, with the same points and same goal difference, have won one more game.
But the irony of such an outcome after a positive afternoon won’t have dampened the spirits of a large 800-plus travelling support, who were at last given something to cheer about away from the Alexandra Stadium.
They were able to bask in the sight of their team giving the runaround to a motley, but expensive collection of talent; delight in Nicky Maynard continuing to rediscover his goal touch; and gasp as time and again Leeds were cut open with a second, and decisive, goal looming large.
Sadly, Tresor Kandol’s 86th-minute header salvaged a point for United and wrecked the prospect of Crewe’s third away win.
“We were unlucky not to keep our lead, but we were under the cosh a bit at the end,” said Maynard.
“We’re all a bit gutted, but we would have been happy with a draw at the beginning of the game.”
The 20-year-old arrived on cue in the box to finish off when loanee Gary Roberts raced clear on to a George Abbey punt two minutes after the re-start.
It was one of several occasions when Crewe were able to link midfield possession to lightning raids behind a ponderous back four.
But Maynard, who had lifted a juicy first-half chance over, flicked timidly into keeper Casper Ankergren’s arms after being put in by Byron Moore.
“I could have had one before my goal and then the keeper did well for the other chance,” added Maynard. “I will just keep plugging away and hopefully the goals will come in twos rather than ones in the future.
“I am more confident about my game now. The manager has stuck with me when I wasn’t scoring goals, now I need to repay him.”
Holland’s faith in teenager Moore after his horror show of misses at Brighton has also paid dividends.
After starting off alongside Maynard, the youngster’s switch with loan ace Gary Roberts offered him space to demonstrate his pace out on the left.
Ankergren was glad to push Moore’s fierce 20-yarder from the bottom corner, but it was Ipswich’s Roberts who should have made the game safe when he was left one-on-one with the keeper after Alan Sheehan failed to collect a long ball.
As the ball was run into Ankergren’s legs, McAllister was able to breathe a sigh of relief and direct the final assault, helped by a generous helping of injury-time.
In the first half an hour there had been little indication the home side would need to resort to such desperate long-ball tactics.
They controlled the game from the kick-off, but Ben Williams wasn’t troubled by some long-range shooting, although he did get down well to keep out a Kandol daisy-cutter.
The Alex keeper’s best piece of work was to deny former Stoke man Peter Sweeney applying the finishing touch from eight yards out to Frazer Richardson’s cross.
But Kenny Lunt, who along with fellow loanee Roberts offered a genuine balance across the middle, showed his class with two superb digs at goal.
The Sheffield Wednesday man’s volley almost crept inside the post before his curling free-kick hit the bar as the first half drew to a close.
Crewe were able to sustain that momentum beyond Maynard’s strike and their relegation worries genuinely looked to be drifting away.
But while Elding looked way off the pace of the game, fellow Leeds substitute Seb Carole made an impact to Leeds’ attacking momentum and he curled over the decisive cross from a half-cleared free-kick.
With Williams flapping, Kandol’s headed connection sent the ball arrowing home.
Yet the anguish wasn’t over as referee Mike Pike enraged the visiting bench with his time-keeping and Crewe were forced to hold on grimly for their point.
Alex assistant Neil Baker, who wasn’t slow to voice his disquiet to the Cumbrian referee at the final whistle, said: “That said it all really. When you come to Elland Road the crowd are after the referee, so he decides to play six minutes of injury-time. But he didn’t, he played nearly seven.
“Then, when we got a throw-in and were attacking, he blows his whistle.”
And Baker stressed: “This is an intimidating place to come, but I thought we handled it well.
“We silenced the crowd by keeping the ball and when we were put under pressure we defended well.”
MATCH STATS
Goal attempts: Leeds 17 (7 on target), Crewe 9 (5 on target)
Referee: Mike Pike (Cumbria) 5
Cards: Yellow – Leeds: None. Crewe: Boyle 29 (foul). Red – None.
Attendance: 21,223
Entertainment: 7
PLAYER RATINGS
WILLIAMS: Made a crucial first-half stop from Peter Sweeney, but was beaten too easily in the air by Tresor Kandol for the equaliser. 7
ABBEY: Another solid stand-in display from the Nigerian, who helped to set up Nicky Maynard’s goal. 7
BOYLE: Picked up a harsh booking, but was dependable all afternoon. 7
O’DONNELL: Got his headers out of the box when it counted. 7
BAUDET: Battled through the rearguard action after several bumps and bruises. 7
LUNT: Classy return from the loan man, unlucky not to score on two occasions. 8
ROBERTS: Played part in Maynard’s strike and kept battling. 7
SCHUMACHER: Seems much improved after coming back from injury. 7
ROBERTS (loan): Did well flitting between the left flank and a front role. 7
MOORE: Really sparked into life on the left in the second half. 7
MAYNARD: Took his goal with aplomb and was always a threat. 7
SUBSTITUTES
O’CONNOR (for Roberts (loan), 82): Bolstered the middle in the final minutes.
COX (for Lunt, 89): Added his weight to defending the late siege.
Not used: McCready, Pope, Lowe.
LEEDS: 1 Ankergran, 2 Richardson, 32 Sheehan, 35 Kenton (17 Carole, 50), 33 Michalik, 5 Marques, 7 Prutton, 14 Howson, 24 Sweeney, (16 Bradley Johnson, 65), 20 Kandol, 19 Flo (39 Elding, 65).
Not used: 25 Lucas, 3 Huntington.