Leeds 2 Gillingham 1
After an extremely disappointing first half, Leeds came back to win through excellent goals from Johnson and Kandol. Gillingham finished the day in the Football League’s bottom division, but results elsewhere had ensured they would have gone down anyway even if they’d won.
Even though the arbitration had gone against us and there was no chance of winning automatic promotion, there was a carnival atmosphere around Elland Road before the game. The opening of the upper east stand had ensured the game attracted the Football League’s highest crowd of the season, and we were only denied a capacity crowd by Gillingham’s failure to sell all their tickets, even though it was such a vital game for them. The most bizarre sight was a rottweiler wearing a Leeds shirt, and being kept under control by a Leeds coloured lead.
Macca took the opportunity to rest a few players for the play-off games to come, especially those who have played in every match in recent weeks. Freedman’ ancient limbs got a rest, and with Beckford still injured our forward line consisted of Kandol abd Elding. Sweeney got a game in midfield, as did young Scott Gardner at right back. And with Sheehan out suspended it was Johnson’s turn to be our umpteenth left back this season, while Hughes played in central midfield. Johnson said in the most recent LLL magazine that he played there at the start of his career, so he might be the most logical choice for a stand-in left back.
But it didn’t take long for the party atmosphere to become a little subdued in the face of one of the dullest 45 minutes of football I’ve seen for quite some time. Leeds had little to play for while Gillingham were fighting for their League One lives, and it certainly showed. The Gills had most of the possession without having the class to anything useful with it, but they were gifted a goal in the 20th. minute.
Huntington underhit a simple backpass and lost possession to Jackson on the Gillingham left. Jackson cut inside and evaded Casper and Lubo, and just when I thought he ought to cut it back for his centre forward, he turned and knocked it past Casper into the net. Neither side produced any outstanding chances during the rest of the half, though Elding chipped their keeper quite beautifully when he’d already been flagged for offside.
There was more action in the crowd than on the pitch, when somebody was thrown out in the corner of the Kop by the tunnel beneath the police control box. This led to fans hurling abuse at that senior steward who permanently has an arrogant smirk on his face, and the police coming out to video some of the fans in that corner.
At half time there was a presentation to the winners of the Leeds fans worldwide competiton, and I pitied them coming all the way from Australia to watch that first half performance. But Macca must have delivered a decent team talk at the interval, as Leeds came out with a lot more purpose in the second half. Gardner started to make some good runs down the right and Kandol got his head to a couple of his crosses, which would have been useful if he’d headed any of them in the right direction.
But it was the introduction of Carole for the ineffectual Sweeney after an hour that really made the difference. At last we had some width to trouble the Gillingham defence, and one of his runs led to a superb equaliser in the 69th. minute. While the defence were taking care of Kandol and Elding in the middle, Carole pulled his cross back for Johnson, who was rushing through unmarked outside the box. Johnson hit it first time, a magnificent volley that gave the keeper no chance, and finally gave the huge crowd something to shout about.
This brought the game to life, but even then Gillingham didn’t give up, and Casper was called into action to save from Crofts and Oli. At the other end Elding had a couple of shots blocked and Kandol was getting plenty of abuse from the Kop for his wayward passing and shooting. But the big man finally came good two minutes from time when Hughes’ pass set him clean through, and Kandol controlled the ball with his chest before running on and slotting it neatly past the keeper.
Cue for much abuse for Gillingham’s thoroughly unpleasant chairman from the whole ground (even the Gills fans hate him) with “Scally, what’s the score” and “Scally’s going down”, etc. There was still time for Gillingham to snatch a draw, which they should have done when the ball came through to Southall two yards out, but somehow he hit the post and the ball bounced back into Casper’s greatful arms. “That’s why you’re going down”, we reminded them.
At that was it. It was fortunate that Southall did miss that sitter at the end, as we soon found at that Southend had only drawn with Port Vale, meaning Leeds had overtaken them to finish fifth. As a result we will face Carlisle in the play-off semis, the team finishing the season in the worst form of any of the clubs involved. The players did a lap of honour while the one fan who ran on the pitch was swiftly dealt with, and we could all start to dream of a trip to Wembley.