Date:
Venue:
Competition: First Division.
Score:
Scorers:
Attendance: 27,443.
Teams:
Referee: Mr I. Cruikshank (
Over the
years Queens Park Rangers have managed on a number of occasions to be quite a
thorn in the side of Leeds United. The meeting of the two teams in October 1990
proved to be one of those occasions. Howard Wilkinson’s men were striving hard
to establish themselves back in the top flight after eight years in the
wilderness of Division Two, and were acquitting themselves quite well. Only two
defeats in their first eight games was a satisfying enough start and considering
the calibre of the opposition already vanquished they
were looking to enhance their reputation with a victory over Rangers.
A two goal
lead established in the opening seventeen minutes ought really to have been
sufficient for the foundation for another home success. Everything looked to be
going United’s way when Lee Chapman scored his side’s
second goal following an excellent piece of play on the right by Gordon Strachan, who had dispossessed Kenny Sansom
to race away and get in a hard low cross along the six yard line. Chris Whyte had already beaten Czech goalkeeper Jan Stejskal by lobbing a neat shot over his head in the
fifteenth minute after John Pearson, assisted by a static defence,
had helped on a lofted free-kick from Glynn Snodin.
Yet United
could not hold their advantage, and when Chris Whyte
slipped on the wet surface, Rangers full-back David Bardsley
took full advantage to nip in and supply a neat shooting chance for Ray ‘slaphead’ Wilkins, which he gratefully and skillfully
accepted. Worse was to follow for United when Roy Wegerle
brought the scores level with an audacious goal, one of the best seen at Elland Road, scored after he had beaten five would-be
tacklers, Glynn Snodin, David Batty, Gary McAllister,
John Pearson and Chris Fairclough.
United’s
disappointment intensified after the break when the normally reliable Gordon Strachan struck a penalty, awarded for a Danny Maddix foul on Lee Chapman, against the cross-bar. It was
only his second failure in twelve spot-kicks, but it proved more costly when
Rangers grabbed the winner ten minutes from the end through Roy Wegerle, who hammered home a fourteen yard shot after
Wilkins had picked him out with a fine pass. United had been unlucky at times
in this game but in the final analysis they had to accept that they had only
themselves to blame for the defeat. “The truth is that we are sometimes a soft
touch. There is rarely any room for comfort or complacency in the top Division
and this is something we have to learn. Our problem is that when we lose the
ball our opponents counter-attack too easily.” United manager Wilkinson said.
Match Action:
Lee Chapman nets but has it disallowed Lee Chapman puts the ball in the
net for United’s second goal
Players:
Chris Whyte and Lee
Chapman scored for
Gordon Strachan
missed from the spot Glynn Snodin’s free-kick was headed on by John Pearson for Chris Whyte to get
Jan Stejskal was in
goal David Bardsley and
Kenny Sansom were the full-backs Les Ferdinand led the line with
Roy Wegerle in support
Alan McDonald and Danny Maddix
were in central defence Paul Parker, Simon Barker and Andy Sinton
were in midfield with Ray Wilkins