24-01-07: Ethnikos Achna (a) 1-1 (HT 1-1) Crowd (2,000)

Assistant Manager Gus Poyet, who was playing in his familiar midfield role, scored his first goal for Leeds United in the fortieth minute of the friendly against Ethnikos Achnas. There was a crowd of about two thousand, which was boosted by a contingent of about three hundred from Leeds and a large number of British Servicemen. The experienced Uruguayan netted a terrific volley just before the end of the first half to give United a 1-0 lead against the Cypriots, but the lead was short-lived as Matt Heath conceded a penalty for handball less than a minute later to allow the home side to equalize. Poyet had played in an impromptu thirty-five minute each half behind closed doors game against Dan Petrescu's Unirea Urziceni, a top-flight Romanian team who were also taking a break on the Island, So the game against the Cypriots was not his debut. In that game Leeds had gone down to the Romanians 0-3 in a game which apart from Poyet, had included trialist defender Adrian Eincsi, making probably his only ever appearance in a Leeds shirt. It was thought that other trialists might take the field against Ethnikos Achnas but Gus Poyet was a surprise inclusion as Leeds had twenty-two players in the tour squad. But Dennis Wise utilised the majority of his squad during the game and was frustrated to see his side denied in the second half by a number of offside decisions.The Leeds substitutes were Neil Sullivan (goalkeeper)(13), Robbie Blake (12), Ian Moore (14), Tresor Kandol (15), Sebastien Carole (16) and Gylfi Einarsson (17), while the Ethnikos Achnas substitutes were: Milos Adamovic (Goalkeeper) (1), Christos Kotsonis (6), Christos Poyiatzis (10), Kyriakis Chatziaros (14), Xpietoz Tiaeianhi (17), Milan Belic (21), Marius Iordache (26), Levan Kebadze (29).

Teamsheet, Programme & Ticket: