30-07-05: Barnsley (a) 2-1 (HT 1-0) Crowd (5,162)

Programme

Neil Sullivan made his return as a second half substitute for Ian Bennett for his first game of the pre-season after undergoing surgery for a shoulder injury at the end of the previous season. With Ian Bennett proving a capable deputy in his absence it meant that United were now well served in the goalkeeping department. In general Kevin Blackwell left Oakwell knowing that he had assembled a team with cover in every position and often with both vying for inclusion in the starting eleven. He must have almost settled on his starting eleven as, the goalkeeping position apart, the only changes he made were in the seventy-first minute when Eirik Bakke was taken off and Gylfi Einarsson replaced him and eight minutes later Stephen Crainey came on for Dan Harding at left back, but both changes were precautionary as the departing players had taken slight knocks. Matthew Kilgallon and Frazer Richardson remained on the bench as unused substitutes. With Rob Hulse remaining on the injured list it seemed that the strike duo of David Healy and Robbie Blake were to be United's spearhead in his absence. They both showed that United would be well served in that department, for what they lack in height they make up for in ball skills and shooting ability. It was David Healy that opened the scoring just before the half-hour and could be counted unlucky not to have more as he scored what appeared to be a perfectly good goal seconds before, but had it disallowed for off side. Robbie Blake got the Leeds second goal after sixty-four minutes with a header from a David Healy cross and he too had had a goal disallowed for offside just previously. Leeds could have won by more with Eddie Lewis, Jermaine Wright and Eirik Bakke all joining in the attack. However, they became a little complacent towards the end and Daniel Nardiello punished a Shaun Derry error with a consolation goal that brought the home team back into contention, but Jermaine Wright almost created another Leeds goal for Robbie Blake in the dying minutes but the ex-Bantam just failed to connect with his cross.