It wasn’t really a classic Leeds performance, but it was enough to get past Grimsby and move one step closer to Wembley.

Leeds fielded a fairly strong team for this Northern quarter-final tie. Grayson might have wanted to rest a few more players, but his choice was restricted by the competition rules and our lengthy injury list. Vokes and Gradel were available and both started, and Lubo came into central defence to give Kisnorbo the night off, while Aidan White returned at left back and Hughes moved across to the right. Kilkenny replaced Howson in midfield.

Leeds began brightly and moved the ball around quickly, and an early shot from Kilkenny produced a bizarre clearance from Forbes, as for no obvious reason the Grimsby man dived full length, even though his keeper in position behind him, before the ball came back off his knee.

The two full-backs were getting forward to give us more width than we’ve enjoyed in recent weeks, and we seemed more balanced with a left-footed player at left back and Hughes on the right. That said, I thought White faded a little bit as the game wore on, so for all his promise he still has to fill out a little bit more.

Towards the middle of the first half Grimsby started to mount a couple of decent counter attacks, while we relied on the offside trap to keep them out, and we might have been lucky that a couple of tight decisions went in our favour. At the other end Gradel made a couple of penetrating runs down the left, only to waste the opportunity by sending the crosses far too deep, way over everybody’s heads.

Up to the 40^th. minute the game was looking very even, but then in the closing minutes of the half Leeds finally showed their class and swept into a two goal lead before the break. Gradel was sent down the left wing once again, and this time decided to drive the ball low across the face of goal, and how satisfying it was to see a player called Lancashire get in the way of his effort, to divert the ball past his own goalkeeper.

The second goal was an excellent move, with Kilkenny playing a one-two with Beckford as he raced into the box, taking one touch to steady the return pass and then driving his shot right into the corner. And after the break Leeds continued to look comfortable, with the third goal coming from Beckford in the 54^th minute. Johnson’s strong run gave Beckford the chance to race into the area and side-foot the ball past the keeper into the corner, but it wasn’t that firmly struck and Colgan might be disappointed that he didn’t manage to get down to the shot in time.

At that stage it looked as though Leeds might go on to give Grimsby a bit of a hiding, but our former player Sweeney brought them back into the game with an excellent volley, after Casper had come out to punch but failed to get it much beyond the edge of the area. Sweeney thought he had a point to prove, but his lack of opportunity at Elland Road had been due to the fact that Dennis White bought no fewer than five central midfield players during his time in charge, at the same time as we had Delph and Howson coming through from the youth team. What were the two subsequent managers supposed to do?

After their goal Grimsby never looked completely out of the game, although Snodgrass nearly restored a three goal advantage with a firm downward header that Colgan managed to keep out with the help of a post. That was about his last contribution before he was replaced by Robinson. The tubby one looked keen to impress, but was intent on shooting from distance at every opportunity when his colleagues were better placed, and dived in for one poor tackle that really should have earned him a booking.

Prutton and Showumni came on in the last ten minutes, while a poor pass from White allowed Wood to race through on goal, only for Casper to come out and make one of his trademark saves in a one-on-one situation. And that was about it, as we got through the three minutes injury time with no further alarms and qualified for all the excitement of the northern area semi-final.

And with all the other decent teams in the Southern section, this could finally be our year to get to the JPT final, provided of course we don’t get drawn at home to Carlisle in the next round.

Photo: Action Images

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