Morison off the mark as Leeds United win

Morison and midfielder David Norris were both on target in the second half to give the Whites a lift with a 2-0 victory over Blackpool.

The deserved win took Leeds back up to ninth in the Npower Championship and eased the pressure on manager Neil Warnock.

In a much brighter display than in recent weeks United created plenty of chances and could have been three up in the first 20 minutes with Morison and Luke Varney twice denied by visiting keeper Matt Gilks.

Ross McCormack was not far wide with a volley then saw a low shot saved by Gilks’ feet after being set up by Morison’s back heel in the box before home keeper Paddy Kenny was brought into the action to make fine saves from Ludovic Sylvestre and Thomas Ince shots from the edge of the area.

In an open contest Paul Green volleyed wide and Varney headed a Morison cross over, but Blackpool had the ball in the net through Gary Taylor-Fletcher only to be ruled offside following up Martin Phillips’ shot that had been parried by Kenny.

Leeds took charge early in the second half and after Varney went close latching onto Norris’s ball over the Blackpool defence they took the lead when McCormack’s corner fell nicely for Norris to fire home.

Six minutes later they doubled the lead as Norris’s header cannoned off Stephen Crainey across the box and left Morison with an easy task to net his first goal in Leeds colours.

Blackpool tried to hit back in the closing stages, but Ince saw a shot from distance well held by Kenny and Alex Baptiste headed over and it was all over for Paul Ince in his first game as Blackpool manager.

Match facts

Leeds United 2

(Norris 57, Morison 63)

Blackpool 0

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Npower Championship

Att: 25,532

Leeds: Kenny, Byram, Lees, Peltier, Warnock, Green, Norris (Pearce 91), Tonge (Brown 84), Varney, McCormack, Morison.

Blackpool: Gilks, Baptiste, Broadfoot, Cathcart, Crainey, Ince, Ferguson, Sylvestre (Derbyshire 74), Osbourne, Phillips, Taylor-Fletcher (Delfouneso 70).

Referee: Carl Boyeson.