Kewell double give Leeds edge over Derby

13 April 2012

Harry Kewelleventually produced the magic touch that has been missing too often lately for Leeds as frustrated manager David O?Leary almost reluctantly accepted his team?s return to the top of the Premiership.

Unless O?Leary is kicking off this season?s mind games particularly early, he genuinely fears that his team?s lack of depth will undermine all his best efforts to steer Leeds to the Championship trophy now craved by the Elland Road fans. Kewell, who turned 23 on Saturday, celebrated belatedly yesterday by showing his undoubted class to conjure the two goals in three second-half minutes that demolished Derby?s lingering and not unrealistic hopes of taking a point from Elland Road for the third successive season.

But while it is always a positive sign to win when not playing well ? and Leeds certainly did not play well in going two points clear of the pack ? O?Leary senses that, as the season progresses, it will become harder to match the challenge from Old Trafford and Highbury.

He said: ?We are top of the table but I don?t think anybody is playing particularly well. Manchester United and Arsenal have better teams and better squads than us.

?We?re not concerned about Manchester United. People should start looking at us. We can?t leave nine players out for a game. We?ve come a long way but very quickly. We?ve a long way to go. If we can get one full 11 out, we?re very good, but I?m not going to get carried away.?

Fears that there might be a hangover from their Madeira experience seemed justified when Leeds ? sensationally beaten 1-0 by outsiders Maritimo four days earlier ? had only a near-post header from Eirik Bakke in the ninth minute to show for their efforts, with Derby looking the more insistent as the match entered its final stages.

That was the belated cue for Kewell, who had made little impact so far, to ensure that Leeds will go into Thursday?s UEFA Cup second leg with a substantial, if less than satisfying, win behind them.

The enigmatic Australian, sometimes too languid for his own good, frustrated most of the 39,000 crowd on several occasions, but the 74th minute was not one of them.

He used Lee Bowyer?s pass to maximum effect with an audacious shot through defender Youl Mawene?s legs and in off both posts with goalkeeper Andy Oakes hopelessly stretched. Three minutes later, with the Elland Road atmosphere now relaxed, Kewell provided the icing on the cake with a rare but forceful header from Bowyer?s cross which left him with a delighted grin, though it is a mark of Leeds? relative paucity of goals so far that he is now their leading scorer.

In truth, Kewell was a long way from being man of the match before striking his first goal, but the quality that tempted half of Europe?s elite before his long recuperation from achilles surgery a year ago should play a key part in Leeds? bid for glory this season.

As O?Leary conceded: ?We know what a talent Harry is, without a doubt, but he needed those goals because he wasn?t playing particularly well.

?But we were able to bring back players today. Gary Kelly isn?t a midfielder in a million years.?

Struggling Derby had reason to feel miffed. They had an early goal ruled out when Fabrizio Ravanelli ? an Elland Road scorer in March with Lazio ? was ruled offside as the ball ricocheted off Rio Ferdinand?s chest past Nigel Martyn in a desperate clearance attempt, then saw Martyn deny Darryl Powell and, vitally, Malcolm Christie before Ravanelli directed a free header wide.

Blackburn target Seth Johnson, who would not look out of place in a Leeds shirt, either, certainly deserved more for his efforts.

County No.2 Colin Todd said: ?People will look at the score and say it was a drubbing, but we can take a lot of credit from that performance. We took the game to them. The difference in the end was that little bit of class they have. The appetite was there and it?s a learning process for some of those boys. Let?s hope they come of age this season.?

Kewell had been one of those Leeds players who underperformed for the best part of 70 minutes and they had good cause to thank Martyn for the crucial 50th-minute save he made when Christie was sent in by Brian O?Neil.

The England goalkeeper was put under the spotlight when beaten from almost 40 yards in the midweek UEFA Cup defeat, but here he was at his typical best, though it was Derby?s Oakes who had to work the harder.

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David Jones (Footballer)

Kewell double give Leeds edge over Derby

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