Sponsored by
Leeds United close in on play-offs
LEEDS United have one foot in the League One play-offs following a vital victory over Tranmere at Elland Road.
Goals from Jermaine Beckford, back after injury, Neil Kilkenny and Luciano Becchio ensured United won 3-1 to go six points in front of their play-off rivals with only two games to play and a plus 11 better goal difference.
The victory was not without its wobbly moments as Sam Sodje headed over Casper Ankergren into his own goal but the Whites saw out the game comfortably in the end to put themselves within one point of a definite play-off place.
Their outside chance of an automatic promotion spot has now gone, however, with Peterborough winning 1-0 to stay seven points ahead of Simon Grayson's men.
After their 11-match unbeaten run came to end at Leicester on Monday, Leeds knew they needed to get straight back to winning against Tranmere to ease end of season nerves and they made a bright start with Jonny Howson hitting the woodwork with a superb long range volley on five minutes.
Both sides were going for it, but it was the hosts that opened the scoring on 15 minutes when a fantastic one-two between Beckford and Robert Snodgrass gave Beckford a chance to slip the ball past onrushing keeper Danny Coyne for his 32nd goal of the season.
Former Leeds player Ian Moore then forced a save out of Ankergren with a well struck shot from a tight angle before Jonathan Douglas was sent clean through by Beckford only to hesitate for the chance to be lost.
There were no mistakes on 26 minutes as a long ball forward caught the Tranmere defence out. Kilkenny looked offside as he latched onto to Beckford's flick but he was allowed to go on and confidently knocked the ball past Coyne to make it 2-0.
Unbelievably, within 30 seconds Leeds were picking the ball out of their own net after they were also caught out by a long ball. Ankergren came out to collect only for centre half Sodje to get his head to it first. The ball sailed over the keeper and although he made a valiant attempt to chase it he could not keep it out of the net.
United's football suddenly went nervy after this and they twice came close to having their lead wiped out before the end of the half as Antony Kay sent a header just wide and Edrissa Sonko clipped the ball just wide in a one-on-one with Ankergren.
Tranmere came close again early in the second half as Kay's 20-yarder was well saved by Ankergren and the home keeper was in the right spot to catch the follow-up effort from Ryan Shotton.
But hard though the visitors tried from then on they were unable to carve out any further chances as the Leeds defence tightened up and played much better in the last half hour.
The Whites went 3-1 up on 56 minutes as Andy Robinson was brought down to give them a free-kick near the touchline. Snodgrass bent the ball in well and after it cleared Sodje's leap it bounced in off Becchio.
The Argentinian striker did not know much about it, but he was not complaining as it brought him his first goal at Elland Road since November 22.
After then United had several chances on the break, but their play lacked the snap of recent weeks and the closest they came to adding to their score was in injury time when Kilkenny was well set up by substitute Mike Grella only to shoot over in space on the edge of the box.
Match facts
Leeds United 3
(Beckford 15, Kilkenny 26, Becchio 56)
Tranmere Rovers 1
(Sodje og 27)
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Coca- Cola League One
Att: 24,360
Leeds: Ankergren, Douglas, Sodje, Naylor, Parker, Snodgrass (Johnson 66), Kilkenny, Howson, Robinson (Hughes 83), Becchio, Beckford (Grella 85).
Tranmere: Coyne, Edds, Chorley, Shotton, Taylor, Sonko (Burns 76), Jennings, Kay, Barnett (Curran 63), Savage (Gornell 84), Moore.
Referee: M Oliver.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Wakefield
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: 0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light snow
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
