Middlesbrough v Leeds United 22/4/24
Having not been well since before the Blackburn game I’d said in my pregame reel that the good news was that I wasn’t playing tonight. We had a team of players a lot younger and fitter than I am who can play their hearts out until the final whistle. I also asked for us not to be so predictable but to catch them unawares. We have to believe and it’s not over until it’s over, so we still stand a chance. Prophetic words or not, I said everyone was expecting us to lose these next two games with them being away from home so the pressure would be off us. At the start of the game though, it looked anything but the pressure being off us as we were made to pay within seven minutes by messing around at the back as Boro took the lead. Now the pressure really was off us I thought.
Team: Meslier, Ampadu (captain), Rodon, Byram, Firpo, Gray, Rutter, Summerville, Gnonto, Bamford, Gruev.
Subs: Piroe for Bamford (74), James for Gnonto (81), Kamara for Rutter (81), Anthony for Summerville (86).
Subs not used: Darlow, Cooper, Shackleton, Gelhardt, Joseph.
Leeds won the game 4-3 with a brace from Summerville (pen 14, 61), Bamford (18), Gnonto (39).
Attendance: 29,333, 2,571 Leeds fans.
Referee: Tony Harrington.
Booked: Bamford.
In the first minutes, the referee a Teesider was giving Boro everything as you only had to touch their players and they were on the floor. To be honest though once we were awarded the penalty, I felt that he grew into the game. As Boro took the early lead, Gruev’s touch wrong footed Ampadu, Rodon made a great tackle but as the ball spun loose, their player reacted quicker than Firpo to stick the ball into the net. Within seven minutes Leeds were level as Rutter forced his way into the penalty area and was brought down. As Bamford held the ball, I knew he was only waiting for Summerville to come and take the penalty. It’s all mind games! He duly scored from the penalty spot though their keeper went the right way, to give everyone some hope. Well, I got my wish for us to do something unpredictable as Firpo on the wing sent a fantastic cross into the box and Bamford with some part of his body, swept the ball into the net to put us into the lead sending everyone into raptures. What a turn around that was. I always felt that by getting one goal, that we would get another. I don’t think I anticipated us getting four though! Boro came back at us and got an equaliser when we didn’t close their player down at the edge of the box, but he took another step and hit a cracking shot past Meslier. Gnonto had been bundled off the ball easily, but Bamford was showing others how to stand up to them and try and keep possession. Gnonto then swapped sides which paid off as we took the lead again nine minutes later as he got past the defence with a through pass from Summerville and curled a great shot into the net after some great work from Gray. It was only afterwards I found out there had been a dispute about an offside but for once this went in our favour. Six minutes of injury was cut short when Rutter was brought down, and the referee blew the whistle. Going into the break in the lead away from home was a good feeling but I know plenty of Leeds fans were feeling the pressure.
The second half saw Leeds take a further lead with a great run from defence which did come from what I call messing about at the back, so Farke knew what he was doing! Rutter passed to Firpo who was in the centre, and he waited to send a great ball out to Summerville on the left who cut inside and sent another great shot into the top corner before running to celebrate with the Leeds fans in the stand. Bamford also got the ball into the net again, but the goal was disallowed for offside. There was no way he was offside as far as those around me were concerned but I’d need to see it again as I know I am biased. I went down to the front to get my flag and stayed there. A Boro steward who I’d been speaking to before the game said that I should move from there as if Leeds scored, I’d end up on the floor. I decided it was safer staying where I was, and it was nice that I was being looked after by our stewards who came to see if I was okay to which I confirmed there were no issues. However, it wasn’t us who scored another but Boro to get those Leeds nerves jangling but Leeds held out to give us those precious three points and the win.
Well, it is still tight at the top of the table with only two games left for us, but we showed some Yorkshire grit today and have to keep that going. With a trip to London on Friday, I know I’d prefer that to be the last one this season, but as I said we have to believe. See you then, LUFC – Marching on Together!