Unhappy Townsend leaves Leeds Uniited

Leeds United manager Neil Warnock has revealed that on-loan winger Andros Townsend as returned to Tottenham Hotspur.The youngster featured seven times for United after joining on New Year's Day and scored the first goal in last weekend's win against Doncaster Rovers - but the new boss says the player has opted to cut short his loan spell."I've lost Townsend," confirmed the boss."His agent told me he didn't like here, he wasn't happy, and he hadn't settled. I've heard that Birmingham want to sign him, I don't know if that's got anything to do with it."I'm disappointed because we've lost a player, but I don't want people who don't want to be here so good riddance I say if that's what he wants to do."Townsend is the second loan player to see his spell with club cut short after Fabian Delph formally departed earlier this week due to an ankle injury that could see him sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Late Late Winner Seals Points for Leeds(again)

New Leeds United manager Neil Warnock met the players for the first time before the game and was sat in the stand watching as Neil Redfearn took charge of the team for the last time. Doncaster kicked off with 10 men after Pascal Chimbonda was sent back to the dressing room to remove an earring.Leeds started well, the recalled Andros Townsend initiating one early raid, but it was Doncaster who had the first chance when Habib Bamogo hit the post with a header. Leeds came forward, Luciano Becchio put the ball over the top after a good ball from Adam Clayton.It was an untidy opening half hour with neither side really taking a grip on the game and chances being at a premium. Robert Snodgrass created one opportunity for Clayton, but the midfielder's shot was charged down.And it was Doncaster who took the lead on 31 minutes when Andy Lonergan made a good block from James Hayter and the ball fell to Mamadou Bagayoko who drilled it home into an empty net.United actually came close to an equaliser on 37 minutes when Chimbonda almost headed a free-kick into his own goal.But it was the visitors who should have gone further ahead early in the second half when Hayter found space to get in a powerful strike on goal - but his effort struck the bar and bounced to safety.
Almost immediately, United responded and Becchio headed an Alex Bruce cross just over the top.
But Doncaster were 2-0 up on 52 minutes when they again found plenty of space and Bagayoko converted from close range after good work by El Hadj Diouf.

United pulled one back within less than two minutes, though, when Andros Townsend levelled with a good low strike from just inside the box.Townsend went close again shortly after the hour when he tried his luck from distance with a shot that flew wide of the mark. And the on loan Tottenham midfielder also provided Becchio with an inviting cross, but his header was saved by David Button.United had built up a good head of steam now and were pushing forward in search of a leveller. Ross McCormack was next to be denied by the Doncaster goalkeeper as he looked to take the ball around Button.Robbie Rogers was introduced with 12 minutes to go, but it was Snodgrass who created the next chance with another good delivery for Becchio.
But Leeds were level with 10 minutes left when Clayton got on the end of a good ball in from Snodgrass and scored with a sweet strike to make it 2-2.
With the impetus firmly with United, Doncaster looked to slow things down and hold on to the point. As the game hit the 90-minute mark, and the fourth official displayed five minutes of added time, there was a lengthy and worrying stoppage after Rogers and Tommy Spurr had a clash of heads and both were stretchered off.
Play eventually resumed almost six minutes later, and in the 99th minute it was the Leeds who were celebrating when Becchio latched on to a loose ball to smash it home from just inside the box to settle the points.While police reinforcements were seen sprinting into the tunnel after the game following a huge altercation between players from both sides.

Zigic Stuns Leeds

Three goals in seven second half minutes from giant striker Nicola Zigic stunned Leeds United.After somehow getting out of jail in their previous two home games it was the other way round this time for the Whites as they took a 19th minute lead through Ross McCormack and were the better side for the first hour only to suffer a sudden and unexpected collapse.The young United back four was taught a harsh lesson by Serbian striker Zigic, who scored all four of Birmingham’s goals in their eventual 4-1 win to become Leeds’ tormentor for the second time this season after netting the winner in the sides’ previous meeting at Birmingham in October.Remarkably the 6ft 7 Zigic has only notched nine goals all season - and five of them have come against Leeds.Yet it was all about the other centre forward in the game in the early stages as Luciano Becchio could have had a hat-trick in the first four minutes.Leeds were fast out of the blocks and Becchio beat keeper Boaz Myhill to meet an Andros Townsend cross only to see his header cleared by defender David Murphy. Robert Snodgrass got to the rebound, but took too long to get a shot away and was blocked out.The ball was quickly played in again by McCormack only for Becchio to be unable to get much of a touch on the ball as he stretched to meet the low cross on the edge of the six-yard box.The Argentine striker had a much clearer opportunity soon after when McCormack’s pass sent him clean through, but he shot wide with only the keeper to beat.Birmingham showed they carried a threat when Andy Lonergan had to turn a Wade Elliott shot over, but it was United who went ahead when McCormack was allowed to bring a long ball down and easily got round Curtis Davies to plant a shot past Myhill from the edge of the box.The visitors got over their early wobbles and gradually settled to play some good football in midfield. The movement of Elliott and height of Zigic were to become a threat and the two combined for an equaliser on 31minutes as the Serbian got ahead of Tom Lees to head home.The Leeds response was good and after Fabian Delph and Lees sent efforts wide they were unlucky in first half injury-time when McCormack’s goalbound shot was blocked.More chances followed early in the second half as Becchio’s header was well saved by Myhill and he had a great 30-yard thunderbolt turned over by the keeper, who also made an easier save from Darren O‘Dea‘s header.
But the whole game changed just after the hour mark when Chris Burke was allowed to get to the bye-line and his pull back was met by the unmarked Zigic, who finished emphatically into the top corner.It seemed that Leeds heads dropped and Zigic was left unmarked again to head home his hat-trick goal.The Birmingham player then helped himself to his fourth when out jumping Lonergan to meet a corner.Mercifully Leeds were spared more punishment as the Serbian striker immediately limped off, but there was precious little fight from the Whites and they rarely looked like reducing the arrears in a dire last 20 minutes.Becchio had one last chance, but could only head wide at the near post. It was one of those nights for him and for the Leeds team, although ironically they had played their best football for some time at Elland Road for the first hour with Delph showing glimpses of the talent he showed first time round at the club and Snodgrass outstanding on the right wing.

Match Report:Crystal Palace 1-1 Leeds United

Robert Snodgrass stepped off the bench to rescue a point for Leeds against 10-man Crystal Palace just over two weeks after undergoing surgery on his appendix.

The Scotland international, a surprise inclusion in the Leeds squad, struck from close range in the 63rd minute to cancel out Chris Martin's early opener for Palace.

The hosts played the second period with 10 men after striker Sean Scannell had been sent off on the stroke of half-time for a second yellow card.

It was the second game running Leeds had come from behind against 10 men after Ross McCormack's stoppage-time winner against Burnley in their last league outing, but today's point did little for either side's npower Championship play-off aspirations.

Palace, with one eye on Wembley in the Carling Cup, have won just three of their last their last eight league games and have dropped to 13th place, while Leeds slipped to 11th, albeit just one point adrift of the top six.

Palace wasted little time in picking up where they left off in their Carling Cup semi-final win over Cardiff on Tuesday night - Anthony Gardner's goal gave them a slender lead to take into the second leg - to take a sixth-minute lead.

Martin cut inside on the left side of the penalty area and arrowed an angled shot into the bottom corner beyond Leeds goalkeeper Andy Lonergan for his second goal of the season.

Leeds spurned their best chance when unmarked midfielder Danny Pugh lashed Adam Clayton's corner over the crossbar from six yards.

Julian Speroni then pulled off two fine saves in quick succession to keep his side ahead.

The Palace keeper smothered Clayton's effort from inside the area and then parried defender Tom Lees' shot in the 36th minute.

Palace were reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half-time. Scannell, already booked for a foul on Andros Townsend, was shown a second yellow card by referee David Coote for his clumsy challenge on Pugh.

Returning Ross McCormack's close-range effort was blocked by Paddy McCarthy and Speroni saved again, from Lees' header, as the visitors looked to make their extra man count after the break.

Leeds manager Simon Grayson sent on Snodgrass for defender Aidy White in the 56th minute and was rewarded seven minutes later.

McCormack slipped the ball to his fellow Scot inside the box and Snodgrass tucked the ball into the bottom corner from six yards.

Republic of Ireland defender Paul McShane, signed on loan from Hull this week, made his Palace debut when replacing Mustapha Dumbuya in the 67th minute.

But Leeds continued to press. Snodgrass, Pugh and Clayton were all off target with long-distance efforts, while Speroni denied Leeds an 86th-minute winner when keeping out substitute Mikael Forssell's close-range shot.

McCormack Rescues Leeds

Ross McCormack struck what could prove to be one of the most vital goals of Simon Grayson’s time in charge of Leeds United five minutes into injury time, as the Whites overturned a one-goal deficit to come from behind and beat 10-man Burnley.
Going into the game with a three-game losing run behind him and a very public demand of promotion from outspoken owner Ken Bates hanging over his head, some could have been forgiven for writing Grayson’s Elland Road obituary when his men fell behind to Charlie Austin’s 69th-minute opener.

But the under-pressure boss was given a leg-up by Brian Easton’s own goal with four minutes left and, when it looked as though he would have to take a draw against 10 men back to his chairman, McCormack pounced on Lee Grant’s fumble of Andros Townsend’s long-range strike to send his manager on an emotional charge of celebration down the touchline.

The end result was perhaps harsh on Burnley, who had looked set to record an eighth win in nine games when Austin scored - his goal coming some 40 minutes after Kieran Trippier had been sent off for two bookings, both of which came for fouls on lively debutant Townsend.

But it was Leeds who had the last word, with top scorer McCormack coming off the bench to grab his 12th and most important of the season.

Grayson said after Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Barnsley that some players may never play for him again and he stayed true to his word, making five changes, although it was Burnley who started better with Austin spurning a one-on-one chance.

Leeds then lost captain Patrick Kisnorbo to a 14th-minute knee injury that forced Grayson into another reshuffle, and he was thankful to see Andy Lonergan turn Austin’s opportunistic 25-yard drive over as he changed his side around.

Burnley began to fade after that second Austin effort and Townsend in particular opted to try and swing momentum in favour of the home side. Tripper was the man in his sights and twice in the space of six minutes he torched past the full-back, with referee Mike Brown brandishing a yellow card on both occasions, with the second one perhaps only worthy of a warning.

In between the two bookings Townsend ran at the Burnley defence and drilled wide but, after that and Trippier’s dismissal, both sides seemed without idea and limped through to the interval.

Leeds displayed a shade more invention at the start of the second half, with Ramon Nunez twice putting in crosses that caused Grant problems and Townsend fizzing a strike over from the corner of the area.

Townsend was relentless in his pursuit of whoever was occupying Burnley’s right-back berth and, after he drew a foul and a booking from David Edgar, Leeds mounted their first real spell of pressure which saw Brian Easton head away from under his own bar and Darren O’Dea then clip the top of the goal with a looping header.

Ben Mee then received the fourth yellow card of the afternoon awarded for a foul on Townsend, and from the subsequent free-kick, Nunez worked Grant for the first time.

Leeds rookie Zac Thompson then saw a volley scrape past Grant’s post from 25 yards, before Austin went one better at the other end, giving Burnley the lead out of nothing.

A long ball from Dean Marney fell to him in the box and, as the Leeds defence held back, he snapped at a half-volley on the turn and found Lonergan’s bottom corner with his 10th of the season.

Leeds were initially stunned, but got a fortuitous break when Easton turned Adam Clayton’s corner beyond Grant with four minutes left and then, when a draw looked on, McCormack pounced to offer his boss some welcome relief.

Townsend’s 25-yarder should have been a regulation save for Grant, but the keeper shelled the ball and McCormack did the rest.

Leeds Land Townsend

Tottenham youngster Andros Townsend has joined Leeds United on loan for the remainder of the season.

The 20-year-old, who has not made his Premier League debut yet, has previously been out on loan with Yeovil Town, Leyton Orient, MK Dons, Ipswich Town, Watford and Millwall.

He played regularly in the north London club’s Europa League campaign, making six appearances and scored against Irish side, Shamrock Rovers.

“Andros is a quality young player with proven experience at this level and we’re delighted to be able to bring him to Leeds,”Leeds manager Simon Grayson told the club’s official website.