Uefa Cup: Leeds fall to PSV passing game

Leeds boss David O’Leary admitted his side had been run ragged by PSV Eindhoven’s patient passing in a 1-0 aggregate defeat which meant the end of their UEFA Cup hopes at Elland Road tonight.

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink dived in to head home after a deflected shot by Theo Lucius came back off the crossbar to settle the tie after a goalless first leg in the Netherlands.

Leeds now have to hope for a dramatic improvement in form in the run-in to the Barclaycard Premiership season or they face the prospect of returning to action in the Intertoto Cup in July to try and claim a place in this competition next season.

O’Leary told Sky Sports Extra: ‘‘I thought we played well in the first half but we needed to take our chances.

‘‘They kept the ball well and we couldn’t get at it. I wish them well and good luck to them.

‘‘If we’d taken our chances it may have been different but I was very impressed how they played the second half.

‘‘We didn’t keep the ball at all. Our central defenders were excellent, they had to be tonight because we just couldn’t get the ball back.

‘‘It was a poor goal to give away. There was something missing of our spark in the second half but there were no excuses with the pitch.

‘‘This club needs something to go for it. It’s in the players hands, players who have big reputations perhaps didn’t live up to their reputations tonight.’’

PSV midfielder Mark van Bommel added: ‘‘I think we played the second half brilliantly. It was our best half of the season.

‘‘Our attitude was the same in the first half and the passing was good, but the second half was much better from us.

‘‘Nobody wanted to lose but we only needed one to get in to the next round and we got it.

‘‘Every pass we played to the box very well but the last ball was not very good until the second half.’’