It’s a Bank Holiday weekend. Warmth comes from a yellow orb and Disney perfect fluffy clouds add volume to the pale blue sky.
Miles pass, Power Station, cooling towers, white oak trees from water vapour, not even a breeze. If Carlsberg did days…
Elland Road, imposing, impressive, impossibly clean looking in the summer’s sun. Howards’ Bar, an ex-restaurant, turned over to the Rams fans, plastic beer in plastic cups, a real finger added to each one as the bar staff sticks their thumbs into separate each pot before serving. It’s gross in a truly Neanderthal way.
Blessed with full searches we enter the ground. Full obviously doesn’t include stink bombs, the smell of bad eggs a continual odour in the cramped downstairs concourse suggesting a) there was far more than one and b) our Neanderthals have moved on from (or lost the ability to smuggle in) incendiaries.
Derby team news, six changes, the spine is gone, Zak Whitbread replaces Supporters and Club Player Of The Season Jake Buxton. Craig Bryson and Thorne are rested and the hugely influential Chris Martin has a day off, Conor Sammon deputises. The rib cage isn’t looking good either, Ward and Russell’s places taken by Patrick Bamford and Simon Dawkins.
You don’t mind, your head tells you. It’s a meaningless game, "Don’t want any injuries to key players” the grey matter opines. "Give the squad players a chance to improve their fitness in case their called on”. Logic abounds.
Your heart screams back "It does matter”. "It’s Leeds”. It will always matter, it matters for the past, it’s almost primeval good versus evil. There’s no logic here, it’s passion, it’s feeling. Your heart, our heart. We should always follow our heart.
A minutes silence to reflect, an impeccable pause in honour of the Leeds schoolteacher, Ann Maguire, tragically stabbed to death and Leeds fans passing during the year.
Heart and mind become one, we scramble a goal on six minutes, Jeff Hendrick a run into the box, a shot, a save from Jack Butland and bouncing around Dawkins pokes the ball home. One nil and it looks easy, we have depth in our squad.
Oh no we don’t. Well not really, Sammon tries to play the Martin role, hold the ball and bring others into the game, it doesn’t work.
At the back Whitbread fills space but lets his markers go and Will Hughes playing in the centre of midfield is admirably shackled by his Peacock counterparts. Down the wings we look dangerous, we just don’t get their very often.
Leeds on the other hand are more direct, long ball stuff, Matt Smith, a mountain of a man, uses his arms for leverage like any good striker and knocks the ball down for Ross McCormack who is the best player on the pitch. In the goal area Smith and Lee Grant meet, the keepers fist getting the ball before both collide.
Treatment is needed yet the United striker isn’t forced to venture to the touchline but instead allowed to stay on. In the stands we wonder when that rule was changed.
We hold our lead without ever getting out of second gear as the whistle ends the first half leaving us with the prospect of wading through overflowing loos during the break. Nice.
Second half and our iPro, the slow release sports drink (WTF is that all about you either…? Need energy or you don’t and if you do you want it NOW!), kicks in. We are lethargic, slower than sloths and the home side equalise.
McCormack provides the pass, Whitbread loses his marker (which is great if you’re an attacker, not so good as a central defender) and Smith with a lovely first touch for a big man pops in a delicate chip over the keeper and the net bellows.
It’s all Leeds. Completely. It midfield it’s boys versus men, Michael Brown, Michael Tonge, master classes in winning free kicks on the edge of the box. And yes they were fouls but contrast that with Hughes being manhandled and getting virtually nothing. Experience tells over youth.
In the stands, it’s Reading. It’s Brighton.
We have switched off.
Just don’t lose.
Please.
We manage to achieve that at least.
The Derby players and fans, a brief farewell before we all depart to allow the home fans their customary celebrations.
Grant — 7: By far the busier keeper, at least five fantastic saves kept us in the game.
Wisdom — 5: Subdued, he made the first of the four mistakes leading up to their goal.
Keogh — 6: We needed a leader, Richard was given the run around by McCormack.
Whitbread — 4: Out of place, out of luck, if we need a centre half we don’t have a ….
Forsyth — 5: Good first half but found out by pace in the second.
Bamford — 4: He tried bless but perhaps not his type of match, very poor partnership with Sammon.
Hughes — 6: Can’t fault his ability or work rate, needs to toughen up though.
Hendrick — 7: Our most influential midfielder, prompting and prodding pushing the Rams forward at every opportunity.
Eustace — 5: Not noticeable on the eye, a quiet game by anybodies standards.
Dawkins — 6: Scored a goal.
Sammon — 5: Didn’t score a goal and never looked likely too.
Derby Gaffer - Steve McClaren:
"The lads battled their hearts out today and they’ve gone down in history. The game itself was a battle but we made changes and the way we played just showed what a strong squad we have.”
"It was a test for us which is exactly what we needed ahead of what’s to come. We started well, got in front and played some good football but it didn’t continue. On reflection a draw was a fair result and it means we’re unbeaten in six.”
"Now we want to finish the job off in the play-offs and that’s our next aim. Two tough games await us now - they’ve (Brighton) snuck in at the death and they’ll be delighted.”
Leeds Gaffer — Brian McDermott:
"We played some really good stuff against Derby who are the team to beat in the play-offs. There are a lot of reasons for where we finished and they are not excuses."
Possession: 42% / 582%
Corners: 5 / 3
Shots (On Target): 28 (9) / 14 (7)
Fouls: 12 / 13
Yellow Cards: 1 - Not Enough / 1
Referee: James Linington (legally blind)
Attendance: 29,724
Derby: Grant (GK); Wisdom, Keogh, Whitbread, Forsyth; Eustace, Hendrick (Bryson 90'), Hughes; Bamford (Russell 90'), Dawkins (Bennett 78'), Sammon.
Unused Subs: Legzdins (GK), Naylor, Buxton, Thorne.
Goals: Dawkins (6’)
Leeds: Butland (GK), Lees, Pearce, Wootton, Pugh, Tonge, Brown, Austin, Murphy (White 45'), McCormack, Smith.
Unused Subs: Cairns (GK), Poleon, Walters, Dawson, Thompson, Hunt.
Goals: Smith (60’)
Brighton vs. Derby
Amex Stadium
7:45pm — Thursday May 8th