Leeds complete the comeback at gusty Yeovil

Leeds United fought back against the weather and recovered from going a goal down to beat Yeovil 2-1.

Strong winds dictated the fixture, making it difficult for both sides as the ball forked in random directions when flighted through the air with any pace.

Leeds captain Ross McCormack celebrating his goal with Matt Smith.
                                                                             Picture from http://www.bbc.co.uk

Leeds were chasing the game after Ishmael Miller thrust Yeovil ahead with a fine header after 32 minutes in Somerset. The same player then failed to double the home side's lead, missing a penalty conceded by Sam Byram just before half time.

United Captain Ross McCormack, who scored a hat-trick in Leeds' 5-1 derby win over Huddersfield last week, levelled for Leeds with a beautifully curled shot from 22-yards out - only a minute after the restart.

Whites' left-back Stephen Warnock stunned Yeovil with his 40-yard free-kick on 62 minutes played, putting Leeds 2-1 ahead. The long-ranged effort was picked up by the wind as the ball sailed through the air and looped over static keeper Marek Stech. 

"What we want to avoid now is drama off the pitch. On the pitch we want drama but if we can avoid that for the last 17 games I'll be very happy." said Leeds manager Brian McDermott after the game.

Under pressure: Leeds manager Brian McDermott.
                                                         Picture from http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

A poor first half performance played in equally poor conditions in Somerset suggested that McDermott - who is already under considerable pressure following the botched attempted sacking of him last week by prospective owner Massimo Cellino - had his work cut out for him at half-time. 

But whatever the Leeds boss said in the dressing room during the interval definitely worked, as did his tactical change to 4-4-2.

The manager introduced the big handful that is Matt Smith, who returned after serving his three-match-ban for a harsh red card that he received during United's 6-0 thrashing at Hillsborough almost a month ago.

As the second half ticked on so too did the chances for Leeds. Ross McCormack, Rudolph Austin and Jimmy Kebé all had decent chances - the latter blasting the ball into the car-park with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Accuracy is an area that Leeds need to address if they are to pose a serious play-off challenge this season. They totalled 20 shots but only managed to get five on target - a 25% shot accuracy on the day.

Yeovil's chances dried up considerably in contrast as the game went on. The home side struggled as they played against the same wind that held United back in the first half.

Match report: Leeds United v Barnsley F.C.

Leeds welcomed fellow Yorkshire side Barnsley to Elland Road this week in a fixture that never fails to live up to the occasion but despite the high intensity of the match, it ended 0-0 at full-time.

New Barnsley boss Danny Wilson.
                                                  Picture from http://www.dailystar.co.uk

The game was manager Danny Wilson's first in charge since returning for his second spell with the club after the Reds sacked David Flitcroft following a poor run of results which has left them at the very foot of the Sky Bet Championship. Leeds on the other hand went into the Yorkshrie derby at sixth-place in the league and were eyeing the fixture as an opportunity to take advantage of a struggling side.

Bizarrely, Barnsley are the fifth team Leeds have played this season with a new manager. Players always seem to 'put on a show' when a new manager comes into the fold at their club and Barnsley were certainly no different, restricting Leeds to a draw despite the home side dominating for most of the match. Manager Brian McDermott told the YEP after the match: “It was new manager syndrome for us again. I said to my players beforehand ‘play like you've got a new manager.’ They didn't but that’s life."

Wilson set his side up to contain Leeds, utilising Bobby Hassell as a protective barrier sandwiched between two banks of four defenders and four midfielders. This contrstricted the home side, allowing for little room to breathe and it showed. ""The first half wasn't good from our point of view." McDermott said, noting the difficulty that United had combating the strangle-hold that Barnsley implemented.

Leeds striker Matt Smith chasing the ball.
                                 Picture from http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

Barnsley could have easily gone behind though had it not been for stalwart England international goalkeeper Jack Butland. The on-loan Stoke man kept his side in the game in the first half after his flash of brilliance denied Matt Smith a goal, parrying the Leeds striker's point-blank volley. Smith continued to threaten though and after showing strength to shrug off defender Peter Ramage, he latched onto Ross McCormack's pass but only to hit it straight at Butland.

Barnsley frustrated Leeds in the middle of the park all afternoon. David Perkins and Jim O'Brien pulled the strings and ensured that Leeds could not set their own pace from midfield. Marcus Tudgay also came close, in a game of few chances for the away side, but Kenny managed to tip his header safely over the bar.

Young Leeds midfielder Alex Mowatt picked up a yellow card in the first half and made way as McDermott introduced Michael Tonge and Sam Byram after the interval, but both failed to provide an impact as the tempo of the game continued to rise. The heroics of Butland also continued, saving a Danny Pugh volley before keeping out McCormack's on-target header. Striker Matt Smith once again went agonisingly close in the final stages but his shot dragged just wide of the post.

Barnsley were hanging on but in the 85th-minute Marcus Tudgay took a reckless swipe at Leeds defender Marius Zaliukus and saw a straight red card for his troubles. When asked about the dismissal, the Barnsley boss said: "He’s not that type of guy but I've no qualms with the referee. He was right on top of the incident." Six  minutes of injury time were added on at Elland Road but to no avail for the home side, who were held to a draw as the final whistle blew.

Luke Murphy picked up a yellow card in the match and his fifth of the season, inevitably ruling him out of the next game against Blackpool and the feeling is that he could be sorely missed. Though Leeds do have a readily available replacement in Michael Tonge, McDermott could opt for Michael Brown - the veteran's thorny style can be an asset when playing away at big clubs. Despite a disappointing draw against the Championship's bottom-placed side, Leeds moved up to fifth and, if the Whites can claim victory at Bloomfield Road, they will edge even closer to the automatic promotion spots.

Summer signatures

The 2013/14 Football League Championship looked bright for Leeds United as the summer drew to a close. It was the beginning of  new manager Brian McDermott's first full season in charge and it appeared promising after he secured the signatures of four of his summer transfer targets before the window shut.

New arrival Luke Murphy at Elland Road.
                                  Picture from http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

It quickly became apparent that the funds McDermott had hoped for, and by some accounts promised, were not available. The new owner's resounding policy of  'one in, one out' echoed endlessly throughout the transfer window. This came as a shock to many, especially after GFH Capital's takeover was so drawn out. The policy was even more difficult to comply with partly because many of the players recruited by former manager Neil Warnock were either not wanted by other clubs or their value had decreased dramatically. Despite the apparent lack of funds, McDermott made do. He worked his magic and carefully selected players from his wish list that he was in a position to make an approach for. His first trick was to shock the Championship by beating Blackburn to the post by signing the young and highly rated Crewe Alexandra midfield captain Luke Murphy for £1M. The United boss also dipped into the pool of League 1 talent to sign the towering six foot six figure of Matt Smith on a free transfer from Oldham Athletic.

Defender Scott Wootton signed for £1m.
                                 Picture from http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

Former Irish international Noel Hunt once again linked up with his old Reading boss after a free transfer was agreed. The final arrival at Elland Road was a somewhat unexpected one, in the form of Manchester United youth product Scott Wootton. The talented centre back was frustrated during his time at the Premier League club and a lack of first team opportunities led to several loan spells for the youngster. However, with Premier League and even Champions' League experience, Wootton was a welcome addition to a young and largely inexperienced central defence. McDermott snapped up Wootton for a fee of 1M, despite several clubs showing interest.