Leeds United 3 Doncaster Rovers 2: Paul Goodwin’s verdict
ANYBODY interested in thrills, chills and excitement might have been better advised to visit the fairground outside Elland Road prior to what was meant to be a gritty, dour Yorkshire derby.
Doncaster Rovers and Leeds United are two teams short on confidence, short on flair.
Entertainment is in neither of their remits.
But between them they served up a rollercoaster ride of an afternoon - and it was United’s new boss Neil Warnock who was left smiling after all the fun at the fair; only after West Yorkshire’s constabulary had quizzed both sets of players following a furious final whistle flare-up in the tunnel.
For Rovers, the ups of Mamadou Bagayoko’s first goals in the red and white hoops were overshadowed by the downs of the team’s defensive frailties.
And while the ghost train chugged into action outside, Doncaster’s demons were laid bare yet again as they pushed the self destruct button against a Leeds side that were there for the taking.
Rovers players were on their knees with despair when Luciano Becchio stroked home a barely deserved winner for the Whites nine minutes into stoppage time.
It was a chilling flashback to another Yorkshire derby almost exactly a year ago, when Rovers let a two-goal lead slip at Warnock’s former club Sheffield United.
The late collapse at Bramall Lane was viewed by many as the turning point in Sean O’Driscoll’s reign. The point of no return.
Their latest capitulation ended in an unsavoury tunnel brawl involving El Hadji Diouf, whose temperament has recently taken a turn for the worse. Frankly, it is a sideshow Rovers can do without.
And if Doncaster do not start showing the same sort of fight on the pitch as they did off it, Saturday’s defeat could be equally as damaging as the one in Sheffield.
Rovers had been full value for their half time lead, earned when substitute Bagayoko found himself in the right place at the right time after James Hayter had been denied by Leeds keeper Andy Lonergan.
Leeds had flattered to deceive, much to the frustration of a certain Norman Hunter who was tearing his hair out in the press box. How Norman would have enjoyed the feisty second period that followed.
Hayter hit the bar with an effort from the edge of the area before Rovers’ unlikely hero Bagayoko doubled the advantage, heading into an empty net after Diouf did well to knock back Tommy Spurr’s superb cross.
That was the point to hold firm and to take the sting out of Leeds, to a backdrop of “Bates out” chants.
But within seconds of Bagayoko’s second, the ball broke to lively left winger Andros Townsend on the edge of the area and he drove past David Button to turn to turn the jeers into cheers.
The tide had turned. And from that moment, to the moment Rovers’ players boarded their team bus with a guard of honour from the local police force, everything went wrong for Dean Saunders’ side.
Bagayoko wasted a great chance to complete a hat trick when he shot straight at Lonergan with only the keeper to beat, while Hayter continued from where he left off against Blackpool by completely misjudging another perfect Spurr cross with the goal gaping.
Rovers’ defence then went AWOL as an unmarked Adam Clayton superbly diverted Robert Snodgrass’ centre into the top corner to level the scores with ten minutes still to play. You just got the feeling the drama was not finished there.
A lengthy hold up in play after a nasty clash of heads between Spurr and Robbie Rogers allowed a dancing Diouf to play the joker in the face of some vociferous abuse from the home end.
But while a groggy Spurr left on a stretcher, it was Leeds who had the last laugh. Hesitant Doncaster defending allowed Becchio to pounce - leaving Rovers dazed and confused about how they had thrown away three precious points.
The frustration spilled over in the tunnel after the game; headlines that Doncaster can do without as they look to battle their way out of bother.
Rovers need to come out fighting against Peterborough - and prove this was not a knockout blow to their survival chances.
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Weather for Doncaster
Saturday 26 May 2012
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