After 20 mins of the game every City fan there would have gladly swapped places with those left at home. We were terrible for the opening 25 mins and were lucky to only be one goal down. Warner made a couple of breathtaking saves and we rode our luck as Leeds ripped us to pieces with quick incisive passing and quality movement. Their goal was a result of just such passing and movement, they made our defence look like training fround dummies as they waltzed through to score.
Over 28,000 Yorkshiremen from a crowd of just under 30,000 were rubbing their hands at the prospect of revenge for the Cup defeat in 2002.
City are different now though than they were before Christmas. There's a new belief in the players. Leeds faded badly and City took complete control. Inamoto produced a 25 yard shot that beat Neil Sullivan but smacked against the bar and away to safety. The groans came from City fans who could remember all to well the number of times we'd hit the woodwork during the home 0 - 0 draw against Leeds earlier in the season.
City were at Leeds right from the start of the second half, any attacking threat Leeds had had gone. It was wave upon wave of City pressure and it's incredible that we only managed to score once and that was from the penalty spot. Thorne easily beat Sullivan with a cool finish to make it 3 from 3 for Thorne from the spot this season.
City had close efforts from Lee (on as a first half sub for the injured Jerome), Thorne, McAnuff and Collins. Inamoto had his best game for City, he's getting better as he's getting fitter. Kavanagh was again fired up and playing close to his best.
Leeds reverted to long hopefully hoofs upfield to the small Joachim, he hardly had a look in around Collins and Gabbidon.
You can look at the result in several ways. Yes it was disappointing not to take all three points but we have kept up the unbeaten run, 6 games now, 5 of them in the league. The fight back and passion shown by the team was very commendable.
I'd like to mention Neil Sullivan. With Leeds a goal to the good he started his timewasting routines very early in the game. He would fail to pick up and place the ball to take goal kicks, allowing it to roll past him when passed to him, he would idly change sides to take goal kicks, he berated a ball boy for passing him the ball too quickly, into the second half he was down on the floor injured after a powderpuff challenge, in fact he was really staring to wind me up. Fair enough, it's gamesmanship but the guy was embarrassing himself.
For it to be him that gave away the penalty was in my mind justice done. He made it easy for Thorne by setting off to his right before Thorney had hit it and as cool as you like Thorne stroked it into the oppostie side of the goal.
Nigel has covered much of the day in his full match report (here). It was a long journey, close on 5 hours on the bus in each direction but as for the policing and safety for City fans it was superbly organised. The police who came onto our bus to explain what was happening were excellent, the ensured all City fans were in the ground in plenty of time for kick off and with no trouble at all.
Then after the game the 50 minute wait inside the empty Elland Rd passed without a fuss and that turned out to be a masterstroke. Leeds fans were outside clashing with the police trying to get at Cardiff fans. At the time of course we were oblivious to it being safe inside the ground. 10 fans were arrested, a horse bolted, policemen were injured.
The support from the corner section of Elland Rd that we generated was superb, as the game wore on ther City fans backed the team to a man, Leeds fans were going the opposite way with scores leaving 10 or more minutes from the end, the match finished with City fans in full voice and boos from the home support.
We didn't win but we came close and both players and fans did the club proud.
We must get a few more wins though so this will only be a good point earned if we can go on and beat Burnley next Saturday.