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United throw away two-goal lead
LEEDS United made it 10 games unbeaten in League One, but were left kicking themselves after throwing away a two-goal lead in the last 25 minutes against 10-man Leyton Orient.
The 2-2 draw lifted them to six points ahead of seventh-placed Tranmere, but they are still nine behind Peterborough in second with no games in hand now and only five matches to play.
It all looked plain sailing for another away win as despite missing the injured Jermaine Beckford and Sam Sodje, United took control in the opening half and went ahead through Robert Snodgrass on 19 minutes following some outstanding play from Football League young player of the year Fabian Delph.
The hosts rarely threatened and were glad to be only trailing by one at half-time as Neil Kilkenny and Ben Parker went close to doubling Leeds' tally.
A second goal did come 15 minutes into the second half and it was Snodgrass on target again, this time from the penalty spot after Jason Demetriou had handled on the line to prevent Luciano Becchio's header from a corner going in with keeper Jamie Jones beaten.
The incident also led to referee Trevor Kettle rightly sending off Orient's Demetriou for the handball and it looked to be a case of how many United would win by.
However, the 10 men of Orient battled back unexpectedly. They were given hope on 65 minutes when Sean Thornton's free-kick took a deflection on its way past Casper Ankergren into the net.
Still the visitors looked the better side and they were unlucky when Jonny Howson hit the post with a fine strike. Snodgrass was then denied his hat-trick by Jones and saw a free-kick deflected wide.
But it was Orient who came up with an equaliser five minutes from time when Ankergren could only parry a low cross and Simon Church was on hand to bundle the ball home.
There was more disappointment for Leeds as star midfielder Delph picked up his tenth booking of the season and will now miss two games through suspension, including the potentially vital match at home to Tranmere on April 18.
Match facts
Leyton Orient 2
(Thornton 65, Church 85)
Leeds United 2
(Snodgrass 19, 60, pen)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Coca-Cola league One
Att: 6,943
Orient: Jones, Cave-Brown (Melligan 66), Makandwire, Spence, Daniels, Demetriou, Thornton, Smith, Morgan (Saah 90), Gray (McGleish 73), Church.
Leeds: Ankergren, Douglas, Naylor, Marques, Parker, Snodgrass, Kilkenny (Hughes 90), Howson, Delph, Dickinson (Robinson 77), Becchio.
Referee: T Kettle
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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