Date: Saturday, 30th January 1988.
Venue: The
Hawthorns, West Bromwich.
Competition:
Second Division.
Score: West
Bromwich Albion 1 Leeds
United 4
Scorers: West
Bromwich Albion: Dickinson.
Leeds United: Sheridan, Williams, Pearson, Davison.
Attendance: 9,008.
Teams:
West
Bromwich Albion: Hucker;
Hopkins, Cowdrill; Talbot, North, Palmer; Robson,
Goodman, Gray, Kelly (Dickinson), Morley.
Leeds United: Day, Aspin, Adams, Williams, Ashurst,
Haddock, De Mange, Sheridan, Pearson, Davison, Rennie (Taylor).
Referee: Mr T. Ward (London).
The January
blues were blown away in some style when four-star Leeds launched into a
rare goal frenzy away from Elland Road. Comprehensive away wins were few
and far between for Leeds United during their last stay outside of the
top-flight, but there were exceptions to the rule.
The
promotion season saw a four-goal second half mauling of Oxford, after the hosts had scored twice
in the opening period, and Leeds
once rattled three past Walsall without reply at their old Fellows Park home. Wimbledon were also beaten
3-0 in December 1985 when United fans were banned from attending, but such were
the struggles of that time that even three-goal successes on the road were
occasions to be savoured. So, when Leeds hammered West Brom 4-1 at The Hawthorns in 1988 they
achieved a rare landmark.
Amazingly,
the four-goal triumph, a low-key affair played out in front of a crowd of less
than 10,000, still stands as United's best away
result outside of the top-flight since Southampton were beaten by the same
score-line back in October 1963! It's doubtful that many of the 2,500 travelling United fans realised the significance of the West Brom victory and the majority were
simply stunned to see their heroes sweep aside their hosts in such convincing
fashion.
Billy Bremner's side had gone into the clash boosted by a run of
six straight wins either side of Christmas, but back-to-back derby defeats at
the hands of Hull City and Barnsley had brought back
a touch of reality, and the trip to the West Midlands held little appeal. The
Baggies were struggling at the wrong end of the Division, but Leeds had only won two away games all
season themselves and, despite a stunning Boxing Day success at Manchester City, United fans had come to expect
little when they ventured out of the LS postcode area. Billy Bremner's side had suffered a 3-0 hiding at the hands of
the Baggies the previous season and hadn't won at The Hawthorns for eight
years.
Was it a
sure-fire recipe for a dour, drab contest?
It certainly seemed that way. But, as ever, nothing is ever
straightforward with Leeds,
and Bremner's charges proceeded to blow the Baggies
away. Bobby Davison was instrumental in United's
success, scoring one and making two, as Leeds ripped Albion apart. Davison teed up John Sheridan for the
opener after great work by John Pearson and the striker was again involved when
Ken de Mange flicked on his cross for former Aston Villa defender Gary Williams
to net only his second career goal.
The third
came early in the second half when John Pearson held off the challenge of
former Leeds defender Martin Dickinson, and
Bobby Davison added a fourth following a superb ball from John Sheridan. United
could have made it five, but Sheridan missed from the penalty spot, and
the last word went to the hosts who had Martin Dickinson to thank when he
forced the ball home from close range. The final whistle was greeted with a
stunned reaction from the United fans, who could
barely believe what they had witnessed.
Alternate
Reports (Courtesy Mark Ledgard)
First: Leeds kept their promotion bid alive with
an emphatic win over struggling West Brom. Bremner’s
men showed them no mercy and painfully underlined their inferiority complex in
a comfortable four-goal romp. Six men were booked in this fiery encounter which
did not hot up until midway through the first half when Leeds rocked Albion with two goals in a sizzling
fifteen minute spell. Bobby Davison found himself a good position in the Albion penalty area in the twenty-first
minute before laying the ball back to John Sheridan, who thumped home low and
hard through a forest of defenders. Fourteen minutes later Leeds had a two-goal advantage. The
outstanding Davison was involved again, crossing to Ken De Mange who neatly
headed the ball down for midfield man Gary Williams to collect only his second
goal for Leeds. The third goal was inevitable and
came in the fifty-third minute thanks to a defensive blunder from Albion substitute Martin Dickinson, which
John Pearson coolly exploited. Leeds could have gone further ahead in the
seventy-fifth minute, when they were awarded a penalty. But Peter Hucker splendidly saved to deny John Sheridan his second
goal. Bobby Davison made amends six minutes later, when he blasted in the
fourth. Dickinson made up for his earlier mistakes and collected
a consolation goal.
Second: A
promising Albion opening came to nothing as Leeds took firm first-half control with goals
from John Sheridan and former Aston Villa star Gary Williams. West Brom’s new signing, Brian Talbot fashioned
a number of bright early moves which caused the visitors one or two early
problems. But it was John Sheridan who got the all-important first goal in the
twenty-second minute and sixteen minutes later, Albion’s back-four was again
found wanting, as Gary Williams side-footed the ball home from close range.
Brian Talbot had a second minute chance to show his skills following a careless
pass by John Sheridan. The former Arsenal and Ipswich midfield man ran fully fifty yards
before being pulled down by the Leeds player, but the free-kick came to nothing. The
game had opened in lively fashion and after nine minutes Bobby Davison had a
half-chance for Leeds
following a free-kick by John Sheridan. But he failed to control the ball the
first time and was crowded out by the defence. After
a promising Albion opening, it was somewhat cruel when
Leeds went in front after twenty-two
minutes. A long throw from the left found Davison, who shrugged off the
challenge of Carlton Palmer before teeing up the ball for John Sheridan, who
shot home expertly from eighteen yards. Tony Kelly and Don Goodman combined
well down the left to cause Leeds problems in the thirty-second minute.
Goodman’s dangerous cross was cut out at the expense of a corner but Tony
Morley wasted that position by lofting the flag-kick harmlessly into Mervyn Day’s arms. Albion’s trouble deepened as Leeds went further in front in the
thirty-fifth minute. Not for the first time, the visitors found space behind
the Albion back line and when Davison crossed
Ken De Mange knocked on a low header for the incoming former Villa favourite Gary Williams to score with ease. A late
thirty-ninth minute challenge by Carlton Palmer on Bobby Davison caused a fray
down by the Manager’s dug-out. Predictably Tony Kelly was one of the first to
join in and he was followed by a whole ruck of
players from either side with the training staff doing their best to separate
the warring factions. The incident provoked a caution for Palmer.
Albion made
a half-time substitution with Martin Dickinson coming on for Tony Kelly, the
home side now playing with three central defenders and Robert Hopkins and Barry
Cowdrill encouraged to go forward on the wings. Ken
De Mange was booked within twenty-five seconds of the restart for what appeared
a pretty harmless foul on Robert Hopkins. The Albion substitute almost made a nightmare
start, coming within inches of putting through his own goal in the forty-eighth
minute. Dickinson was put in difficulty by a swerving cross from
Micky Adams but Peter Hucker
saved him any embarrassment by making a fine low save. Dickinson was again involved in the
fifty-first minute, bringing down Peter Haddock in a dangerous position on the
edge of the Albion penalty area. But from Micky Adam’s free-kick Jack Ashurst
headed wide. Martin Dickinson’s misery was completed when a third bad error in
eight minutes gave Leeds
a third goal in the fifty-third minute. The hapless centre-back hopelessly
giving the ball straight to John Pearson, who calmly beat the keeper from
twelve yards. Two minutes later, Albion were again in
terrible disarray as MIcky Adams again found acres of
room down the left. On this occasion however Stacey North just managed to get
his boot onto Adams’ looping cross to prevent another
certain Leeds goal. The Leeds fans started bating the home crowd
with cries of “Atkinson out”. The Albion supporters responded with “Lucas must go”.
Peter Hucker saved a seventy-fourth minute penalty
from John Sheridan. In the eighty-fourth minute Bobby Davison hit a fourth for Leeds and Martin Dickinson pulled one
back.
Match Action: (Courtesy Mark Ledgard)
Ken De Mange rides a tackle from Tony Kelly as Carlton Palmer moves in.
Teams:
Leeds United 1987-88:
Back
Row: Jack Ashurst, Nigel
Thompson, David Rennie, John Pearson, Mervyn Day, Neil Aspin,
Peter Swan, Peter Haddock.
Middle
Row: Bobby McDonald, John Buckley, John Sheridan, Ronnie
Sinclair, Brendan Ormsby,
Bob Taylor, Gary Williams.
Front
Row: John Stiles, Glynn Snodin,
Micky Adams, Mark Aizlewood,
David Batty, Russell Doig,
Keith Edwards.
Players:
The Leeds
goals came from John Sheridan, Gary Williams, John Pearson and Bobby Davison
Leeds-born Martin Dickinson scored against Ken De Mange’s flick created the third
goal Bob Taylor came on as substitute
his old team
Peter Haddock, Micky
Adams and Neil Aspin were strong in defence
Glynn Snodin was missing
Peter Hucker was
between the posts Robert Hopkins and
Barry Cowdrill were the full-back pairing
Gary Robson, Brian Talbot, Tony Kelly and Tony
Morley started in midfield
Future Leeds Player Carlton Palmer was in the central defence with Stacey North. Leeds born Don Goodman and Andy Gray were the strikers