Either side could have won this gripping promotion clash with Norwich City with both teams leading at some point during the game, but in the end a draw was probably a fair result.
This game produced superb entertainment from start to finish for the 31,061 crowd who splashed their way to Elland Road through the sludge after the overnight snowfall had put this game in doubt. I’m reliably informed by mate from Norwich that the visitors could have sold more than the allocation they got (south-east corner plus a couple of blocks of the south stand) but the crowd was limited by the decision not to have opened the upper east stand for this game. There were a handful of seats left in the west stand, but otherwise the available capacity was completely sold out.
Leeds began the game at a frantic pace, and in the first few minutes Howson made a typical surging run through the middle, but sent his shot just wide of the post. Then Becchio’s header from a Snodgrass free kick bounced off Ruddy onto the post and back into the keeper’s grateful arms. And the pressure told in the 17th minute as Gradel’s cross was flicked on by Snodgrass and Becchio climbed above Drury at the far post to force the ball over the line, though I’m not convinced that it wasn’t an own goal.
Norwich could have hit back straight away when Ward’s header clipped the outside of the post, but I think Schmeichel would have had it covered had it been on target. For most of the first half Norwich were content to sit back and try their luck with occasional shots from distance, the best of which saw the great Dane having to tip a thirty yard strike from Fox over the bar.
Leeds could have gone two in front when Lichaj pulled the ball across the face of goal after combining well with Snodgrass on the right. Howson’s first effort was blocked and when the rebound came back to him he produced a powerful shot that came down from the underside of the bar and bounced out without crossing the line.
Instead it was Norwich who grabbed the next goal, equalising in first half injury time. Grant Holt climbed above Lichaj to get to a deep cross on the by-line, and was able to head it down for the unmarked Lansbury. The on-loan Arsenal player was able to hammer the ball past Schmeichel before presenting his entry for the most irritating goal celebration of the season awards.
In the second half Norwich came out with a more adventurous approach, and could have gone in front when Holt was given time and space to casually back-heel a shot against the post. But we didn’t heed the warning and yet more dodgy defending allowed them to take the lead in the 67th. minute. Croft’s neat through ball put Hoolahan through on the right, and our one-time transfer target knocked the ball past Schmeichel while Lichaj on the line could only hammer it into the roof of the net. Where was Mc.Cartney while all this was going on?
As time started to run out, Grayson made his first change to try to get back into the game, changing to 4-4-2 as Somma came on for Kilkenny. Certainly the Australian hadn’t had one of his better games, but the bloke behind me wanted him to “bugger of back to the Asia cup”, blaming him for everything from the disappointing scoreline to the civil war in Yugoslavia. Be that as it may, the substitution quickly paid dividends, with Somma once again scoring with his first touch.
Howson sent a long ball forward and Becchio won a header just outside the box, sending the ball looping up nicely for Somma to run onto and hit a poweful volley past Ruddy right into the corner of the net. That’s now his twelfth goal of the season, which is a phenomenal return for the amount of time he’s actually spent on the pitch, so surely Grayson must now think of giving him a regular place in the starting line-up.
The second and final change saw Paynter coming on for Becchio as we moved into injury time, a change that I would have made at least ten minutes earlier, as the Argentinian had run out of puff some time before. Even so, there was still time for Paynter to go close to grabbing his first Leeds goal. After a neat one-two with Somma on the edge of the box, Ruddy got a hand to his shot and it bounced only just wide of the post. There were three minutes of injury time but no further chances, and the two teams could shake hands with the honours even once again.
So Leeds and Norwich still can’t be separated, as we compete as promotion rivals for the second season running while our talented young managers plot the same course back from the obscurity of League One. Last season we saw both games won by late goals for the home side, and this time we’ve had two draws There’s still the possibility of one or two meetings to come in the play-offs, and we can be certain that if we do play Norwich again then another close encounter will be almost inevitable.