Klug hails Town kids

By Derek Davis

FA Youth Cup

Leeds United 0 Ipswich Town 1

BRYAN Klug hailed his youth team heroes after they knocked Leeds United out of the FA Youth Cup at Elland Road last night.

Billy Clarke netted the winner from the penalty spot and United finished with just eight men but Academy director Klug insisted his team had done enough to deserve victory by then anyway.

Klug said: “It was a tough match and they made it very difficult for us but if we had taken 50% of the chances we created we would have won by three or four.

“The penalty we got was probably softer than the one we were denied but was still a penalty.

“Although Leeds had a bit of the ball we were always in control and the game was done and dusted before they lost the other two men.

“It would have been a mistake that would have cost us but we won and there could not have been many tougher games to start our defence.”

The young side had four players with limited first-team experience and Klug tips a couple more to join them.

He added: “If they carry on working those four will get another chance and others will, too. They just need to carry on growing and getting stronger.”

Leeds had skipper skipper Robert Bayley sent off for continuing to argue the point after conceding the penalty that Clarke converted with a left-foot shot that sent the keeper the wrong way.

Clarke had been denied a clear-cut first-half penalty but the referee did not hesitate when Danny Haynes was fouled just after the hour.

It was another terrific result at Elland Road for Haynes, who made his senior debut in the 2-0 win against United in September.

He said: “This has been a good ground for me. I might have scored myself but all round it was a terrific team performance against a good side and we deserved to win.”

Leeds went down to nine men when striker Gavin Rothery was shown a second yellow for a foul on the ubiquitous Clarke and then eight when keeper Jon Lund injured his shoulder and Leeds had already used all their substitutes.

The game was already all but won by Town by then and it was a well-deserved victory over a very good Leeds side who top their Academy Under-18s group.

The teams made it an entertaining game with action at both ends, although Town created the better chances.

Haynes caused United a multitude of problems. The Londoner almost broke through in the opening minutes, using his strength and skill, but he shot wide and played a wonderful one-two with Clarke but the Irishman's shot went straight to keeper Lund.

Clarke, who made his first-team bow just two days earlier at Cardiff, was denied what looked a certain penalty when he got the better of Simon Madden and was brought down in the area on the quarter-hour.

The young Irishman went close with a glancing header from an Edward Upson corner and was denied by Lund, who saved superbly at his feet just as Clarke tried to go round him in a one-on-one. The young Leeds keeper also denied Daryl Knights with an excellent low save and dislocated his shoulder when making another super stop from Haynes and had to be helped off a minute before time.

Leeds had early chances with Rothery, Jon Howson and Danny Rose all testing Icelandic keeper Oskar Peturrson.

The outstanding Chris Casement saved Ipswich with a covering header when his keeper was beaten at the edge of the area and marshalled a well-disciplined and organised defence.

Former Blues defender Neil Thompson, now in charge of the Leeds Academy, would not use the sendings-off as an excuse. He said: “We were beaten fair and square by a better team on the night.”

Line-ups

Leeds United: Lund, Stansfield, Parker, Bayley, Madden, Hird, Gardner (Ameobi, 81) Hutton, Howson (Serrant, 57) Rothery and Rose (Brown, 60). Unused subs: Camfield and Vemooten.

Ipswich Town: Peturrson, Moore, Ainsley, Garvan (Fenn, 55) Casement, Short, Haynes, Trotter, Clarke, Knights and Upson. Unused subs: Leabon, Haverson, Sheringham and Plummer.

Referee: G Mellor. Attendance: 461.