Leeds United 1 vs Plymouth Argyle 1 – misfiring in the Cup. Five changes for Leeds United with Summerville and Bamford dropped and Piroe starting. With James injured Leeds United are light. This is Championship tie but Leeds United should have won, having beaten them earlier in the season.
Leeds United took the first five minutes to wake up The team did not look like they had played together before with Plymouth nearly scoring and Leeds passing going astray. But once that moment was over Leeds United took control.
Leeds United totally dominated the first half. They had 80% possession and twice as many shots. The pressure on Plymouth Argyle was a joy to watch, as Leeds made wave after wave of attacks on the Plymouth goal. But somehow they could not manage to kill the game off.
At one moment Anthony and Gnonto within seconds of each other both hit the Plymouth goalposts. Piroe then Amapadu then tried to get on the score sheet. Georginio terrorised their defence with his darting runs on the right wing.
Ampadu orchestrated the pressure in midfield taking the games by scruff of its neck. The fans were having a party watching the slick one touch football going forward at pace by Leeds United.
After so many shots at goal finally Leeds had their just deserves with a fine individual effort from Anthony on the left beating three Plymouth defenders and then shooting through more across the goal into the far corner. It was an emotional moment as his T shirt memorialised the recent passing of his mother.
The first half ended with Leeds United dominating the match but only one goal to the good for all their effort.
In the second half it took Leeds over ten minutes to grow into the game before they began to threaten the Plymouth goal. But then the match drifted as Leeds failed to maintain the focus and pressure of the first half. Leeds vulnerability showed on the hour when Bryam saved Leeds’ blushes by heading a ball dropping down into the Leeds goal as Plymouth took advantage of Leeds’ loss of focus.
After 75 minutes Georginio lost the ball and a counter attack allowed Plymouth back into the match with an equaliser. Georginio, despite his prolific running with the ball has been wasteful in his passing. Gnonto pays the price for his lack of impact on the match by being replaced by Poveda. Poveda gave that injection of pace that pulled Leeds back into the match.
But replacements Bamford, Firpo and Poveda could not produce that vital goal. Leeds had done enough to win the match but were simply not clinical enough. Bamford’s first touch of the ball forces a reaction save from the keeper; the best moment of the second half for Leeds. Farke’s last roll of the dice is Joseph but he typifies the Leeds performance by fluffing the shot wide.
Man of the match: Ampadu who bossed the midfield in the first half.
