A good second half performance brought Leeds the third win of the season against Wycombe Wanderers

Beckford was back in the starting line-up after missing the Darlington game with injury, and Hughes continued at left-back even though Sheehan has also recovered from injury. We have to assume that Sheehan doesn’t have much of a future at the club if Grayson would rather play a right-footed midfeld player instead of a specialist left-back.

The first half was rather scrappy, and Leeds had difficulty imposing themselves on their hard-working opponents. Phillips looked a constant threat down the Wycombe left, and he created the first chance of the game for Zebroski, but Higgs was on hand to make the save.

At the other end Leeds created the best opening of the half when a long ball saw Beckford getting past Oliver, only for his shot to graze the outside of the post, but on the whole the performance was unsatisfactory up the interval. Grayson probably told his players just that, as we looked a lot more determined after the break, while Wycombe started to run out of puff.

Becchio went close a few minute’s into the half, and went one better in the 61^st. minute. Duberry was supposed to be marking the Argentinean but lost track of his man, and as ball ran free outside the ‘D’ of the penalty area Becchio accepted the opportunity to fire a powerful left-footed shot past Scott Shearer into the net. The Leeds contingent in the crowd greeted the goal with a chant of “One nil, and it’s Duberry’s fault!”

After the goal Leeds seemed to be completely in control, with Howson shooting narrowly over the bar, Johnson having a couple of efforts blocked and Doyle turning and shooting narrowly wide. But after all that, we typically switched off and nearly threw it all away right at the end (think of the Bristol Rovers and Orient away games last season).

With a couple of minutes remaining Leeds gave possession away just outside the box, and Higgs had to turn Green’s fierce shot onto the post before it was scrambled away. Wycombe’s goalkeeper Shearer came up for the resulting corner, but fortunately he couldn’t match that other Shearer’s scoring record against Leeds, and we managed to clear the danger and play out time.

So we managed to collect our third win of the season, and we now sit third in the table behind the other two sides who have won both league games so far. We haven’t yet hit top form this season and we must start to kill teams off in the periods when we’re well on top, but this will do for the time being.

Photo: Action Images

Colchester United Polls