Didn't seem like too many expected that turnaround. Credit to everyone, always great coming from behind. Who would hav thought a couple of months ago we would be 20 points clear of the drop zone?
Sounded like JBG made a difference when he come on. Look forward to hearing from those there today.
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Just wish this fixture had been 20 games ago and I would have been absolutely buzzing right now. Not to take away from some very good fighting spirit from the lads though!!!
Fair enough 3 points though.
Igor looks shot, JBG is too good for us.
Lack of quality, lack of atmosphere, lack of caring.
JBG really made a difference, great goal from Watt.
Henderson MOM for me
Funniest moment was Fox's pass into the west lower (there surely can't be a bobble on that carpet of a surface!!)
Penalty saved and penalty scored made the difference today in a game we didn't really deserve to win.
Crowd and players only really got going in 2nd half.
Eagles was poor and Watt kept throwing himself to the ground but I can forgive him because of that goal.
First half was terrible. No urgency. Basically no interest. Leeds could and probably should have been 3-4 up.
Second half was pretty average until we scored. We then decided to play for 25mins.
Igor needs to be sent away for some R'N'R. Watt equally looked to be blowing out of his arse from about 20mins in. IMO losing Diarra really disrupted us. He started well and Cousins gave probably his worst performance of the season.
Have to respect that we turned it round, but other than 20mins it was a horrible performance.
Buyens just does not look like missing a penalty. I'm not sure I've seen a keeper go the right way for one yet.
Very disappointed that I missed Fox's shank into the West Stand.....
Henderson is a great keeper.
Fantastic save from Henderson from the penalty. Their goal was well worked but seemed like we were sleeping a bit and were probably lucky to be just a goal down at half time they missed 2 sitters. Also amazed how TBH escaped a booking for that penalty!
Glad Eagles came off he was very poor second half, with contract negociations going on I'm presuming, he didn't do himself many favours. Personally wouldn't keep him on. Introduction of JBG changed the game, the lad oozes class I bloody hope we hang on to him next season. Our first goal was lovely fantastic ball from him and cracking finish from watt. Even though Watt wasn't having his best game he still has a finish like that in his locker. Our second goal obviously fantastic play from JBG, a quite mesmerising run and decent effort which the keeper probably should have held but I have to also give credit for Igor, when JBG looked like he was about to shoot, Igor still had so much ground to cover and the fact that he got there first to the rebound ahead of the defenders is a credit to him, not in the best form lately but still got that hunger. Though Buyens my MOTM today he was quality, the penalty was never in doubt, 8 in 8 this season, love it.
Again credit to Luzon, made good subs and has clearly installed a great team spirit as that's two Saturdays at The Valley in a row we've come from a goal down to win.
Really good atmosphere in the covered end today I felt, not sure what it sounded like in the rest of the ground but was pleasantly surprised by how many home fans today considering the games pretty meaningless. Up to 10th, I'd be unbelievably chuffed to finish 9th given our season... Let's hope Millwall can do us a favour up at Blackburn next week ;-)
Actually i was saying to my mate that the ball was bobbling all over the shop after they switchedit when some scummy northerners wouldnt give it back. They switched it agaiin soon after Fox's misplaced pass
We only drew with Fulham because we were kicking the wrong way, we beat Leeds because we were kicking the right way.
It was a kind of cerebral game of football on reflection. For all of Leeds admirable work rate for the first hour, maybe by passing it around as much as we did tired their willing runners, and we had the fitness levels to end the game strongly. It was a game with a good referee, both penalty decisions were right, and there were two good goals scored to add to the occasion.
Leeds were on top for most of the first half, however we hit the post with a scrambled effort following a corner, and then Henderson pulled out a great save from a well struck penalty, but Leeds scored with a lovely volley on the full from a corner shortly afterwards. Our first half might have been disrupted by the loss of Diarra early on, and Cousins took time to adjust, but grew into the game and was strong for us during the closing period.
The second half introduction of JBG was the right decision and added a lot of zip to our play, we were getting frustrated by Leeds hard work, but finally a lovely cross was met excellently by TWWW who controlled his volley low and hard from a narrow angle.
Our penalty shortly after was stupidly conceded, but was the right decision, but at that moment Leeds had more or less dealt with our attack, and could have cleared the ball with covering players.
Yoni takes a mean penalty, and in the context of the first half miss by Leeds, and a chance to put us ahead it was still a pressure penalty and Yoni is clearly one of the best we have ever had at pens.
It is hard to select an obviously best player. Henderson was very good, got a hand to their goal, and JBG had an excellent second half. The rest were nip and tuck, and it was more the team we were watching rather than individuals, average to good from most of them, and from Leeds too.
Best away support by a distance I would add.
However, by the ebb and flow of football I think we deserved to win, they deserved to lose because if you can't convert your penalties who is there to blame?
Nice afternoon in the end.
IF we could keep this team together and add a bit of cover I'd fancy us next season. IF, IF, IF... I can only hope RD is being told the same thing.
Not a great performance if I'm honest but was broken up by moments of brilliance!
Game started fairly slowly and fairly even! Few clear cut chances and both teams seemed reluctant to commit too many forward! I thought that Diarra and Buyens in the middle would be too slow, but Diarras added height and strength seemed to help!! And he did the shield the back four role really well! (For 12 mins) when cousins came on he worked hard in that role and also managed to get forward but I think we somehow lost some ballance by not having that genuine CDM!
I was really impressed with the Ben Haim Gomez partnership! I wasn't sure it would work when I saw the line up! But their ability on the ball was helpful and allowed us to pass the ball around better! Gomez also played a couple of top notch through balls! His coolness on the ball and his confidence to change direction is unbelievable! He regularly does forwards chasing him down and has a good understanding with cousins who dropped in to cover him on a few occasions!
the game settled down for a while and not much happened few chances on either side and it was becoming a bit of a turgid affair! Leeds grew into the game more than we did! There was no doubt over the penalty! Saw Henderson go over towards the bench and ask Ben Roberts which way it was going he checked a notebook and replied! And so it was saved.. and what a save it was!
As for the goal to allow someone a volley from a corner is criminal! not sure who was marking him will have to check the replay (think it may have been solly) but should have been soo much tighter!
We huffed and puffed for the last five mind of the half but didn't really create anything except a long range effort from Jordan that was straight at the keeper!
Second half! JBG needed to come on but should have been for vetokele and put Eagles behind watt! Igor had been poor all first half! Touch has gone and wasn't reading flick ons from the team and his work rate is down on where it usually is! We also needed someone who could drop deeper and receive the ball and help out in midfield as we were losing that battle! Eagles hadn't been great first half but he did have a few moments of brilliance!
We came out and really went for it for the first ten fifteen minutes! But nothing came of it and Leeds came back into the game! We saw less of the ball and we're forced deeper! Then one really good passing move that that must have included 25 passes (some backwards much to the covered ends horror) saw a shot fizz just wide! With that the crowd raised the volume and things started to improve! We had a few chances and one cross from igor where Watt should have done a lot better! But the goal came and we kept on the presure everything coming through JBG! Then igor followed up into the box got there before the keeper and brought a foul! Our penalty king stepped up and that was that! We kept the ball well after that and didn't sit back more than we had to! Job done but an average performance at best!
Henderson's penalty save was superb, Tony scored a good goal and we came from a goal down to shut dirty Leeds up, so who cares.
Talk about one player making a difference.