Leeds controlled most of the game at the Keepmoat last night, and deserved beat Doncaster 3-0 to record our first away victory of the season. It’s always nice when I predict a close game and the team make me look like a tit by producing a great performance!

Simon Grayson decided to stick with the same eleven players who began the last game against Portsmouth, resisting the temptation to replace Andy Keogh with the fit-again Luciano Becchio. And he was rewarded with the usual hard-working performance from Keogh, who hassled the Doncaster defence all night to create opportunities for his strike partner, so it was a shame that he narrowly failed to get on the scoresheet himself.

The home side made a reasonable start to the game, and created one early chance when Parkin turned Lees of the edge of the area and curled a shot towards the far corner, but Lonegran got down to deal with it easily enough. After that it wasn’t long before Leeds began to take control, and we could have gone in front when Keogh made a determined run down for the right, but before Mc.Cormack attempt to convert his cross was interrupted by a crunching tackle from our dear former captain Richard Naylor.

But the goal did arrive in the 20^th minute, after we were awarded a free kick on the touchline for a push on Mc.Cormack. Friend was aggrieved that the decision went against him, possibly thinking that our man was guility of obstruction as he tried to shield the ball out of play, and he would have been even more cheesed off a minute later. Snodgrass swung the free kick into the area and Danny Pugh lost his marker at the far post (in similar fashion to his goal against Pompey in the last game) to volley Leeds in front.

Leeds continued to dominate for the rest of the half, but without creating any really outstanding chances. Kirkland dealt with a free kick from Mc.Cormack and at the other end Parkin headed narrowly wide on one of the few occasions when he managed to evade our defence. And only six minutes after the break we went two up with the best goal of the night. Keogh’s ball into the box found Mc.Cormack, who flicked the ball into the air with his first touch, and then executed a perfect overhead kick.

And we were three in front in the 64^th minute as Tom Lees met Snodgrass’s corner to head home. After the match Dean Saunders was scathing about his team’s defending, and the way they conceded this goal in particular, but credit is also due to our young central defender for his attacking ability at set pieces.

That goal seemed to have knocked the stuffing out of Donny completely and we were able to see out the rest of the game. The only real alarm came when Lonegran dropped a cross and then had to save bravely at the feet of Sharp, hurting his hand in the process, an injury that led to him being replaced by Rachubka for the final 13 minutes. And we could have won by an even more emphatic margin, as Keogh was put through on goal seven minutes from time, but saw his shot hit the bar.

This result takes us to the dizzy heights of fifth in the table, which few of us would have dared to hope for at the end of August. And with the next three games all being against teams in the bottom half of the table, maybe we can dream of climbing higher still. Here’s hoping!

Photo: Action Images

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