11-11-03: Cambridge United (h) 5-3 (HT 1-0) Crowd (5,803)

Profile

John Patrick (John) Taylor: The 6'3" 13st 6lb striker was born in Norwich on 24th October 1964. After starting his football career as a trainee with Colchester United, his only game for the club was in a League Cup-tie and he worked as a shipping clerk, while playing part-time for Sudbury Town. In August 1988 he was spotted by Chris Turner and taken to Cambridge United and he signed for them for £1,000. It took him a year to establish himself but with Dion Dublin he formed the club's best-ever scoring partnership. He scored forty-six goals in one hundred and thirty-nine starts in the League and twenty-one games as a substitute. In addition he scored ten goals in twenty-one starts in the F.A. Cup two in nine starts and two games from the bench in the League Cup and twice in twelve starts and two substitute appearances in other games. Despite that and Cambridge's rise from the Fourth to the Second Division Taylor was allowed to move to Bristol Rovers in March 1992 for £100,000 plus Devon White in part-exchange, much to the annoyance of the Cambridge fans. He carried on in similar vein at Eastville where he scored forty-four League goals in ninety-five appearances of which four were off the bench and got one more in four League Cup starts but could not add to his tally in three F.A. Cup ties and five starts in other games. He had become hot property and after a deal with Middlesbrough had fallen through he moved to Bradford City for £300,000 in July 1994. He did not stay long at Valley Parade but Scored eleven League goals in thirty-six games including one as a substitute and also scored twice in four League Cup starts but none in two F.A. Cup ties or three other games, before he moved to Luton Town in March 1995 for £200,000. His time at Luton was marred by injury and he scored only three League goals in thirty-seven appearances, of which ten were from the bench and also scored once in one start in other games and none in two League Cup games. He was loaned to Lincoln City in October 1996, where he scored twice in five starts in the League and then Colchester United for two months in November and December 1996 where he scored five League goals in eight starts and played one other game without scoring. Both clubs were interested in taking him on a permanent basis but he eventually signed for Cambridge United on a free transfer on 10th January 1997. He quickly won back the fans with his performances and his goals were a big factor in the club winning promotion to the Second Division in 1999.

Match Report:

In terms of Leeds United the game was one of the few appearances made by Cyril Chapuis, one of many loanees signed by Peter Reid in a season when there was nothing to smile about for the players or the fans. Seth Johnson opened the scoring in the twenty-ninth minute and that proved to be the only goal in the first hour of the match but the final twenty-five minutes produced seven. Aaron Lennon, Didier Domi and Zoumana Camera were second half substitutes but it was Chapuis that made the impact when he also came on as a second half substitute and bagged a hat-trick but not until fellow loanee Lamine Sakho had made it 2-0 in the sixty-fifth minute. Chapuis got his first and United's third three minutes later, he added a second a minute later as United went 4-0 up. John Taylor pulled one back in the seventy-fifth minute before there was an avalanche of goals with Chapuis completing his hat trick in the eighty-third minute and Andrew Billson-Page scored twice in the eighty-fifth and eighty-seventh minute. The referee was Michael Thorpe (Ipswich).

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Programme and Teamsheet: (Courtesy Mark Ledgard)