LFL: LUFC

A draw was a fair result and I was happy enough with a point in the end as it looked for a while that we’d never hold out against relentless Leeds pressure.

BEFORE

The Brighton game seems like a long time ago so I'm really looking forward to this afternoon's match. Leeds are currently on a good run and are climbing away from the relegation zone with Calvert-Lewin looking very sharp upfront. I thought they were easily the best side we played against last season but that was then and I think we'll get something from today's match. Apparently we have no injury problems so I imagine there'll be few if any changes from last time out. If we win today, we'll move up to fifth place and that would be a great position in which to finish 2025. I'll be at the game and will be getting there early, as usual these days, to enjoy the build-up. Much as I'd love us to win, I think it's going to be a draw and my match prediction is 2-2.

I stopped off at ALS Towers on the way to the stadium and while there I checked the team-news. I was very disappointed to see that Ballard wasn’t in the squad at all due to injury. Cirkin was starting instead and with Diarra off at AFCON there were two additions to the bench – Tutierov and Jenson Jones. Gnonto was only on the bench for them and the less I saw of him, the happier I’d be. I was in my seat in the Upper East Stand around 1.15. My friends’ match predictions were 2-1 to us and 1-1. There was a good turnout of Leeds fans. Cirkin got a good cheer when his name was announced. There was applause and then a minute’s silence for Patrick Treuer, who’d died on Christmas Eve.

THE MATCH

We won a corner in the first minute and it was cleared but we continued to put the pressure on throughout the opening stages. Both sets of fans were making a good racket. Alderete coolly wrongfooted Calvert-Lewin before clearing the ball and that made me feel more relaxed about Ballard’s absence. Stach had the first on-target effort of the game in the tenth but Roefs saved his low shot without difficulty. Leeds started to enjoy some pressure and they won their first corner in the fourteenth. We got that clear and started to attack more ourselves, winning our second corner. Rigg collided with a team-mate in their box and a final cross went out for a goal-kick. Brobbey almost got on the end of a through-ball in the twentieth but Perri in goal plucked it off his toe. It had been an even enough opening quarter with no serious goal-attempts.

There was a stoppage for a few minutes while Rodon was down injured and he eventually rejoined play. Cirkin was looking very lively, I’m pleased to say. We took the lead in the twenty-eighth when a clever through ball from Xhaka found Adingra running into the left of their box and he hit a shot that had Perri well beaten. Before we could kick off again Rodon was forced to go off and was replaced by Tanaka.

Leeds had been looking tricky down both wings and they had some pace but in their next attack Alderete was there to clear the ball before Calvert-Lewin could get a sniff of it. Leeds won a couple of corners in quick succession but we dealt with them and our defence was looking solid enough. Hume cleared a low shot off the line when it looked like Leeds had made a breakthrough and with five minutes plus added-time till the break we were being pressed back. We were lucky to escape in the forty-fourth when a low ball whizzed across our box from the left but no Leeds player was there to get a toe on it. We then conceded a corner and you could feel the tension. We cleared it but then five minutes of added-time were announced, which I could have done without. We had a good chance when Brobbey was put through one on one with Perri but after a bit of collision the chance was gone. There was a VAR check for a foul by Perri but no penalty was given. Brobbey had an even better opportunity shortly afterwards but he headed a great cross from the left against the angle of the bar with goal at his mercy. At least the ball wasn’t up our end. There was good applause when the half-time whistle finally went. It had been a rather nervy half for me but we were ahead and had had good chances as well. I could see Leeds getting one back but could we get the winner?

We’d made no changes as we kicked off again. In the forty-seventh Leeds were level and it was Calvert-Lewin who scored from close range after Aaronson had raced down the right and put in a low cross. Calvert-Lewin had been well marshalled in the first-half and had barely had a touch but he only needs one touch. It looked like we were going to go behind two minutes later but somehow Leeds managed to put the ball wide of our right post. Cirkin was coming in for a lot of flak for that and for their goal because he was playing too far forward. They won a corner in the fifty-second and Roefs held a header from Struijk. We had a penalty-shout when Adingra went down a bit too easily but nothing was given. Our fans were still in good voice and so were the Leeds fans. We conceded another corner in the fifty-sixth as my neighbour said, “There’s only one team gonna win this.” Leeds soon had another corner and it resulted in Tanaka shooting wildly over. With half an hour to go it was going to be a bumpy ride. Hume was yellow-carded as he conceded a free-kick but we held out, for a while at any rate. I wondered which subs we could bring on but the bench was looking a lot weaker than usual. Leeds really laid siege to our penalty area and our players were colliding with each other in their desperation to get the ball clear.

We made a double switch in the sixty-eighth, bringing on Mayenda and Isidor for Rigg and Brobbey, which went down well overall with our fans. Isidor was soon in the thick of it with one of his trademark runs but nothing came of the chance. Nmecha replaced Okafor and I was glad to see the back of the latter as he’s been a menace down the wing. Roefs made a good stop from a long-distance Ampadu shot with around fifteen minutes on the clock. The Leeds pressure had eased off somewhat and we were venturing up their end more. The referee, Tony Harrington, had been getting some stick for not punishing some Leeds tackles but he was ironically applauded for awarding us a free-kick on the right touchline and it resulted in a decent chance that was grabbed in the end by Perri. I would definitely have been happy with a point but I started to entertain fantasies of Mayenda getting the winner. The time was slipping away very quickly. We won a corner in the eighty-fourth from which an Alderete header wasn’t too far wide. Next thing Mundle replaced Adingra to much applause all round. Calvert-Lewin was also replaced by Gnonto at the same time and I had mixed feelings about that one as I really rate Gnonto. Two minutes to go and we’d regained a lot of composure but I still felt that anything could happen. Three minutes of added-time were announced and our fans cheered. Leeds were now the ones under pressure but they held out and it ended 1-1 to decent applause all round me.