Leeds cheer up Peter Reid with win

Leeds 2 Blackburn 1

A week Peter Reid bullishly described as normal yesterday ended in the extraordinary as Seth Johnson scored two rare goals to ease the pressure on the Leeds boss.

Chairman Professor John McKenzie’s vote of confidence, stay of execution, call it what you will for Reid, had still left the 47-year-old’s future at Elland Road open to speculation.

After three successive defeats in which Leeds had conceded 10 goals without reply, Reid’s position had been publicly brought into question and openly debated as McKenzie chose to consult players, fans and shareholders before delivering his verdict

One supporter put it into perspective, claiming Reid was a sitting target, with friend and Rovers manager Graeme Souness lining up to fire a potentially lethal shot.

Despite the full support of the fans and players, it was the latter who had come in for criticism and needing to let their actions speak louder than words.

They did so, as Reid made good on his threat to ring the changes, notably deploying Johnson in a left-wing role and handing enforcer David Batty his first Premier League start for 18 months, the 34-year-old a pivotal figure as Leeds conjured up their first home league win of the season.

Reid claimed he would know shortly after kick-off whether his side would respond to his plea for a positive reaction in the wake of their 4-0 humiliation at Everton last Sunday.

What he was perhaps not expecting was that his side should have been 2-0 up inside 75 seconds for Leeds were out of the blocks and seemingly up for the fight in a bid to prove they were 100% behind their manager.

Reid was almost given a dream start for after just 10 seconds Gary Kelly’s long ball forward to the edge of the area found Mark Viduka with a knock back into the path of Alan Smith whose left-foot half-volley was marginally over the bar.

It set the tone for that was followed a minute later by Viduka then setting up Jody Morris for a right-foot drive from inside the area which flew past Brad Friedel’s left-hand post.

However, it seemed as if it was going to be another of those frustrating days for Reid for in the eighth minute Leeds underlined just why they had failed to recently find the net.

A Matteo clearance was knocked on by Smith on the edge of the centre circle to Viduka, resulting in a deft piece of acrobatics from the Australia international as he produced an overhead kick back into the 22-year-old’s path.

But left one on one with Friedel, Smith slipped a right-foot shot agonisingly past the right-hand post, with Viduka thumping the ground in annoyance as a groan echoed around the ground.

But that was soon forgotten three minutes later as Leeds gained their just reward with Jermaine Pennant playing a short ball into Viduka whose shot on the turn was spilled by Friedel into the path of Johnson to rifle home only his second Leeds goal.

After just one in the previous two years following a move from Derby, remarkably Johnson then scored his second of the game in 16 minutes to double United’s lead.

Pennant was again the supplier with a dinked cross from the right, this time with Batty in the area to flick on for Johnson to drive a first-time left-foot finish in off the left--hand post.

Prior to that Smith had laboured over another one-on-one chance, but fortunately it did not prove costly for the fans were in heaven, leading to a chorus after each goal of ‘Reidy, Reidy give us a wave’ to which he raised his hand in acknowledgement.

The luck, on this occasion, was with Leeds for a minute after Johnson’s second, the post denied Andy Cole with a shot on the turn which had Paul Robinson beaten.

Robinson then needed to be at his best in the closing 15 minutes of the half for twice he denied David Thompson, with the England international at full stretch on both occasions as he pushed away a raking 25-yarder and a curling 20-yard free-kick.

Smith should have killed the game less than 30 seconds after the restart, but was thwarted by Friedel as he attempted to loft the ball over the American - ensuring it was definitely one of those days for the Leeds star.

United remained in the ascendancy until 10 minutes from time when they started to go to sleep at the back and panic, resulting in Dino Baggio nodding home an Emerton cross four minutes from time.

United just managed to hold and the relief at the final whistle was palpable.