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Your support makes all the difference.Leeds United. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Manchester United. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0
MANCHESTER UNITED edged a point clear of Aston Villa at the top of the Premier League last night, although with Leeds short of key players and confidence, they may come to view this absorbing stalemate at Elland Road as a missed opportunity.
The rematch of last season's top two often seemed to be a side- show, however, to the main attraction of Eric Cantona's return to Leeds. Cantona was booed at every turn and booked into the bargain, despite giving a peripheral performance. However, he almost induced mass coronaries in the Ridings with an 83rd-minute shot that John Lukic kept out with his right leg.
Leeds could point to an equally fine save with three minutes left by Peter Schmeichel, who plunged to his left to parry a Gary McAllister header which threatened to give Leeds a first win in 12 years over their Roses rivals. While neither side deserved victory, the hosts showed a resilience which will hearten Howard Wilkinson as he strives to prevent Leeds from becoming the first club in 55 years to be relegated a year after taking the title.
The Cantona factor had been evident from the moment the Manchester players arrived at the stadium. Around 200 Leeds fans surrounded the coach screaming 'Judas' at the man who was once the darling of the Leeds Kop and Yorkshire's T-shirt trade.
'I knew I was going to get a hot reception tonight,' Cantona said after the game. 'If I was a Leeds fan I would have reacted the same way.'
Only 10 weeks have passed since the Cantona brouhaha blew up, yet there were unfamiliar faces in the Leeds line-up. Rob Bowman, a 17- year-old who had not appeared in the reserves when the Frenchman left, made a nervous but steady debut at right-back.
Bowman - ironically, a graduate of Manchester's school of excellence in Durham - was soon involved, getting in a shot which Peter Schmeichel saved comfortably. In the fourth minute, Leeds came rather closer after Scott Sellars sent Gary Speed through the middle. Gary Pallister lost his footing, allowing the Welshman to unleash a rising drive which flashed past Schmeichel's left upright.
Pallister's unhappy start continued when he was booked for body- checking Gary McAllister. He was fortunate there were colleagues behind him; Neville Southall has been dismissed for less of late.
Manchester's first chance, in the 12th minute, came courtesy of John Lukic. Trying to round Lee Sharpe after a back-pass by Chris Whyte, the keeper over-ran the ball but did enough to put Mark Hughes off his shot. Cantona's first attempt on goal, a lob which drifted over, was greeted with predictable derision.
Bowman then did well to block a goal-bound effort by Sharpe, while Lukic redeemed himself in the 26th minute with a marvellous one- handed save after Brian McClair's 25-yarder took a wicked deflection off Whyte.
Cantona's caution came on the half-hour for an innocuous nudge on Jon Newsome, and Leeds should have gone in front two minutes later. David Batty's miscued drive ran straight to the unmarked Lee Chapman, who shot straight at Schmeichel from 10 yards.
Chapman had finished the first half limping but with Leeds already lacking the injured Strachan, Fairclough and Wetherall, the leading scorer soldiered on. Leeds again began brightly, yet the first real chance went to the visitors in the 50th minute. Pallister put McClair in, only for Lukic to charge out and smother the ball.
Another opportunity fell Chapman's way in the 56th minute after Schmeichel had made a mess of punching Batty's cross from the right. But Chapman was too slow to react as the ball bounced invitingly on the edge of the six-yard area, and the keeper made the most of his second chance.
In one area, at least, Leeds showed a semblance of their championship form. Their midfield, particularly the central trio of Batty, McAllister and Speed, moved the ball around with purpose and no little vision, though all too often their labours were negated by the lack of attacking options.
Nevertheless, Schmeichel needed to be alert to keep out a McAllister volley which reared up sharply and an optimistic long- range effort from Tony Dorigo. The home crowd, desperate to lift the champions' confidence, applauded with exaggerated zeal.
The giant Dane again denied Dorigo, who delivered a stinging daisy-cutter from 30 yards with 19 minutes left. In a tense finale, both keepers ensured an honourable draw - the fifth in sixth matches between the two Uniteds since Leeds returned to the top flight.
Leeds United: Lukic; Sellars (Hodge, 85), Dorigo, Batty, Newsome, Whyte, Bowman, Shutt (Strandli, 77), Chapman, McAllister, Speed. Substitute not used: Day (gk).
Manchester United: Schmeichel; Parker, Irwin, Bruce, Sharpe, Pallister, Cantona, Ince, McClair, Hughes, Giggs (Kanchelskis, 72). Substitutes not used: Phelan, Sealey (gk).
Referee: K Morton (Bury St Edmunds).
(Photograph omitted)
----------------------------------------------------------------- PREMIER LEAGUE TOP EIGHT ----------------------------------------------------------------- P W D L F A Pts Manchester Utd 28 14 9 5 42 22 51 Aston Villa 27 14 8 5 44 29 50 Norwich 26 14 6 6 40 38 48 Coventry 28 11 9 8 44 38 42 Ipswich 27 10 12 5 36 31 42 Blackburn 27 11 8 8 40 30 41 Manchester C 27 11 7 9 39 30 40 QPR 26 11 7 8 36 31 40 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Collymore's climb, page 28
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