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Becchio on target as United keep unbeaten run going
A HARD fought, but deserved 1-0 win at Colchester kept the Leeds United promotion bandwagon rolling on Saturday afternoon.
A first half goal from striker Luciano Becchio proved enough to give Simon Grayson's men three points and in the process they made it nine games unbeaten in League One.
Grayson named an unchanged side for the trip to Essex even though he had Andy Robinson and Rui Marques back from injury, and he was rewarded with a solid display.
Leeds were in control for much of the first half and Jermaine Beckford and Becchio both went close before they went ahead in the 29th minute when the Argentinian striker got free on the edge of the box and fired a great shot past home keeper Mark Cousins.
A second gooal almost followed for Becchio before half-time when he met Robert Snodgrass's free-kick with a header but the ball flew just past the post.
Neil Kilkenny then created an opening for Beckford only for the 31-goal top scorer to lose his balance at the vital time when aiming to shoot.
In injury time, Beckford was denied again by Cousins.
Predictably, Colchester came out with more determination after the break and Leeds had more defending to do. They did it well enough with Richard Naylor and Sam Sodje forming an effective central defensive partnership again and keeper Casper Ankergren had little to do.
At the other end, Becchio had a shout for a penalty waved away and saw a shot saved by Cousins, although the visitors' play was more hurried and scrappier than it had been in the opening half.
After a number of injuries and stoppages the game flared up late on with almost every player involved in a pushing match after Snodgrass had been brought down in a heavy tackle. Naylor and Colcehester's Simon Hackney were both booked but no further action was taken and the Whites saw the match out for another excellent win.
Match facts
Colchester United 0
Leeds United 1
(Becchio 29)
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Att: 9,559
Colchester: Cousins, Maybury, Trotman, Baldwin, Tierney, Perkins (Hackney 62), Hammond, Izzet, Yeates (Goburn 83), Platt, Hawley (Vincent 72).
Leeds: Ankergren, Douglas, Sodje, Naylor, Parker, Snodgrass (Hughes 88), Kilkenny (Robinson 78), Howson, Delph, Beckford, Becchio (Dickinson 90).
Referee: A Woolmer
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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