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Leeds edge out ten-man Crewe
LEEDS consolidated fifth place in League One with a rare away victory.
They beat Crewe Alexandra 3-2 at Gresty Road after surviving a dramatic fightback from the ten-man home side.
The Whites looked to be coasting when they led 3-0 at half-time after taking full advantage of Billy Jones' early dismissal but they were forced to hang on desperately after Crewe scored two goals in a frantic second half.
Crewe left-back Jones was dismissed in the 17th minute for a second yellow card and Leeds capitalised by scoring three times in five minutes.
Neil Kilkenny put them ahead, driving home a left-foot shot on 27 minutes and Luciano Becchio converted a simple header two minutes later to make it 2-0.
When Robert Snodgrass added a third, the contest should have been over, but Crewe fought back after United were forced to make a defensive change at half-time with Rui Marques forced off with a hamstring injury.
They had a ready-made replacement in Lubomir Michalik, but after his recent spell on the bench he was rusty and Leeds' defensive stability was lost as they came under pressure to high balls pumped into their penalty area.
The fightback started in the 61st minute when Julien Baudet leaped to head from John Brayford's corner.
Tom Pope then pulled a second goal back with a diving header on 73 minutes after Danny Woodards' shot deflected into the air, but Leeds held out for victory.
They could have added to their advantage after catching out the hosts on the break several times, but Robert Snodgrass was twice denied by fine John Ruddy saves and substitute Mike Grella also failed to beat the keeper.
The latter was on for Liam Dickinson, who was chosen up front in place of the suspended Jermaine Beckford. Elsewhere, it was the same side that had won the last two matches and United are now unbeaten in seven games.
Match facts
Crewe Alexandra 2
(Baudet 61, Pope 73)
Leeds United 3
(Kilkenny 27, Becchio 29, Snodgrass 32)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Coca-Cola League One
Att: 7,138
Crewe: Ruddy, Brayford, Lawrence, Baudet, Jones, Donaldson, Schumacher (Moore 39), Sigurdsson, Broomes, Pope, Grant (Woodards 27).
Leeds: Ankergren, Douglas, Naylor, Marques (Michalik 46), Parker, Snodgrass, Howson, Kilkenny (Johnson 76), Delph, Becchio, Dickinson (Grella 70).
Referee: S Mathieson.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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