The first team had their final pre-season friendly on the same day as they took on EPL side Everton at Elland Road in front of a crowd of 17,057, of which 1,734 were in the Everton section. Martin Atkinson of Bradford was the referee. United lined up: Marco Silvestri; Gaetano Berardi, Souleymane Bamba, Giuseppe Bellusci, Charlie Taylor; Tom Adeyemi, Lewis Cook, Alex Mowatt, Sam Byram, Souleymane Doukara; Chris Wood. It marked the first home games for Coach Uwe Rosler, striker Chris Wood, loanee Tom Adeyemi and substitute Lee Erwin. Former United loanee, Ross Barkley was in the Everton starting line-up. Chris Wood showed up well in the opening minutes of an even start to the game, and it was he that had the first shot on target in the eighth minute when he got in a ferocious shot from twenty-five yards that stung the hands of Everton keeper, Joel Robles, who was forced to dive to his left to keep the ball from entering the net. In a lively start United next pressed down the left flank, with Charlie Taylor prominent, and it was his cross that was deflected away from the on-rushing Chris Wood into the path of Alex Mowatt, but the midfielder was too high with his shot. United were on top at this stage but the visitors were the next to go close as in the thirteenth minute, as Steven Naismith cross low but it was not well directed but got to Arouna Kone, who, though forced wide, found Kieron Dowell but the youngster's low shot defected for a corner. Chris Wood next held up the ball well
and laid it off to Alex Mowatt, whose curling shot from twenty-five yards caused Joel Robles anxious moments as he scrambled across his goal and was happy when it was just wide. Leeds had had the better of the threats on goal and five minutes before half-time they had the ball in the net but Chris Wood was denied by the linesman's offside flag. The game remained scoreless at half-time and, while certainly nowhere close to full strength, there were sufficient EPL quality players in their side and young defenders Gethin Jones, Matthew Pennington, Tyias Browning and Antonee Robinson acquitted themselves well, first choice midfielders Ross Barkley and James McCarthy were largely outplayed by the Leeds midfield. During the break Everton made two substitutions, with Conor McAleny replacing James McCarthy and Tom Cleverley coming on for Arouna Kone. Conor McAleny was soon in the action and only a superb diving save by Marco Silvestri kept the midfielder from getting his name on the scoresheet in the fifty-sixth minute. Although Everton had started the second half the better of the two teams, in the overall concept of the game Leeds took a deserved lead in the fifty-seventh minute. After exchanging passes with Sam Byram inside the Everton penalty area, Alex Mowatt applied a cool left-footed finish and slotted the ball neatly past Joel Robles who watched helplessly. Chris Wood was making good contributions and it was his inch-perfect pass that played in Sam Byram, who clipped the ball marginally over the bar. There were several quick substitutions with twenty minutes to go. Kalvin Phillips replaced Lewis Cook, and two minutes later Lee Erwin came on for
Souleymane Doukara, then four minutes after that the visitors made a double substitution with Ryan Ledson replacing Ross Barkley and Kevin Mirallis coming on for Steven Naismith. In the eightieth minute United doubled their lead when when, after some good work by Tom Adeyemi, Chris Wood got in a strong shot from twenty-five yards and this took a deflection to leave Joel Robles totally beaten as it looped into the net. United made a triple change a minute after the goal with Scott Wootton replacing Tom Adeyemi, Mirco Antenucci coming on for Alex Mowatt, while up front Steve Morison took the place of Chris Wood. It could have been more as Steve Morison saw his shot kicked off the line and scrambled clear in the closing minutes. So with United having goalkeepers Ross Turnbull and Charlie Horton, Lewie Coyle, Liam Cooper and Casper Sloth, unused, while Everton also had Jindrich Syanek, Leon Osman, Conor Grant and Liam Walsh, similarly unused, United scored an impressive 2-0 win over their EPL rivals to finish their pre-season campaign on a high note.
Programme, Teamsheet & Ticket:
Match Report: Everton: 01-08-2015
A youthful Everton side fell to a 2-0 pre-season defeat against Leeds United at Elland Road. In an often tightly-contested affair, both sides saw first-half goals ruled out as the opening period came to a close with the deadlock still intact. But second half strikes from Alex Mowatt and Chris Wood secured victory for the home side in what was a useful test for Everton’s youngsters. With one eye undoubtedly on Duncan Ferguson’s testimonial against Villarreal on Sunday, Roberto Martinez rang the changes from the side that started in the 2-0 victory over Dundee last time out. Six Academy graduates were named in the starting line-up, four of whom - Kieran Dowell, Matthew Pennington, Gethin Jones and Antonee Robinson - were making their first senior starts, albeit in a non-competitive fixture. During a tentative start to the game in west Yorkshire, the Blues’ skipper for the afternoon, Steven Naismith, was first to threaten an experienced Leeds backline. After receiving the ball from the left, the Scot beat his marker with a deft touch, before admirably staying on his feet to unleash a shot that could only be parried around the post by goalkeeper Marco Silvestri.
The hosts, meanwhile, created their first half chance minutes later as summer signing Wood, who found himself with little in front of him, forced Joel Robles into a smart save with a venomous low drive from 30 yards. Naismith, operating as the number 10 in the first half, and Arouna Kone linked well down the left flank as Everton looked to assert their dominance, with the latter picking out Dowell who saw his left-footed effort deflected behind for a corner. Clear opportunities remained at a premium throughout the first period and both sides restricted one another to a handful of long-range efforts as the half came to a close. Leeds’ Mowatt went close to capping off a free-flowing counter-attack, but his curling effort drifted inches past Joel’s post. And, at the other end, Bryan Oviedo, making his first start since fracturing a metatarsal in late April, stung the palms of Silvestri with a low strike after cutting inside following a neat exchange with teenager Robinson. Wood had the ball in the net before half-time for Uwe Rosler’s side, but the whistle had already gone as the New Zealand international strayed into an offside position. Similarly, at the other end, Pennington’s close-range tap in was ruled out after Tyias Browning was adjudged to have fouled Giuesppe Bellusci from Dowell’s inviting out-swinging corner. As such, the sides went in goalless at the interval and Martinez made two changes for the second period, with Conor McAleny and Tom Cleverley replacing Kone and James McCarthy.
Fresh from his goal inside two minutes against Dundee, McAleny was soon in the thick of the action again, pouncing on Dowell’s slide-rule pass down the channel before flashing a dangerous centre across the face of goal - but nobody was there to convert for the Blues. The Whiston-born forward was again involved 10 minutes into the second half - and it was the best chance the Toffees had created so far. Ross Barkley picked up the ball on the halfway line and charged forward past two defenders, before finding Robinson on the left. McAleny made good contact with the full-back’s cross - but Silvestri reacted well to adjust and keep the header out. It was a chance Martinez’s charges were left to rue almost instantly as United countered and, following an intelligent one-two with Sam Byram, Mowatt finished past Joel with aplomb to give the home side the advantage. Naismith looked set to level the scores with twenty minutes remaining after slipping his marker, but rather than shooting for goal, opted for a pass to Dowell which was over-hit and the chance was gone. Barkley and Naismith were replaced by Kevin Mirallas and Ryan Ledson with fifteen minutes remaining as the Blues pressed for an equaliser. But it would be the home side who would double the advantage and seal the result ten minutes from time as Wood’s twenty-five-yard shot looped over Joel to make it 2-0. Everton now head back to Merseyside for Duncan Ferguson’s testimonial against Villarreal - the final pre-season fixture ahead of the competitive 2015-16 campaign - on Sunday.
MATCH REPORT: Yorkshire Evening Post by Phil Hay: 01-08-2015
Leeds United 2 Everton 0
Leeds United signed off their pre-season campaign with a deserved win over a young Everton team at Elland Road. United set themselves up for next weekend’s opening Championship game against Burnley with a strong and organised display and second-half strikes from Alex Mowatt and Chris Wood secured victory in front of a crowd of over 17,000. Mowatt - the club’s player of the year last season - finished off a well worked move on fifty-seven minutes and Leeds afforded their visitors few chances to reply before Wood’s first United goal ended the contest nine minutes from time. Everton’s line-up was relatively inexperienced, in part because the club will host a testimonial for Duncan Ferguson against Villarreal tomorrow. On top of a few injuries, including one affecting striker Romelu Lukaku, Kevin Mirallas, Tom Cleverley and Leon Osman were left on the bench but Ross Barkley started alongside Steven Naismith, James McCarthy and Bryan Oviedo. United’s side in comparison cannot have been far away from the team that Rosler will use when the Championship season starts at home to Burnley next weekend. Leeds are closing in on a £1.3m deal to sign Stuart Dallas from Brentford but with that move set to be finalised on Monday, Souleymane Doukara featured on the left wing against Everton, just as he had against Hoffenheim last Saturday. United employed Rosler’s tactics from the outset, pressing Everton high up the field and looking for opportunities to counter. Wood produced the best of the early chances with a twenty-five-yard volley which Joel saw late in the Everton goal and punched away to safety at full stretch. Everton were patient but only managed to stretch Leeds once before half-time. Sol Bamba, who looked dominant throughout, lost possession in his own half, allowing Everton to play Steven Naismith into United’s box. His cut-back ran beyond an unmarked Arouna Kone and Kieran Dowell’s effort deflected wide. Mowatt came closer to scoring on twenty-eighth minutes when a quick break involving Wood and Lewis Cook ended with Mowatt curling a trademark, left-footed effort past Joel’s left-hand post. WOod then found the net just before half-time - amid a scramble inside Everton’s box - but his finish was ruled out for offside. Everton’s best opportunity came 11 minutes into the second half when substitute Conor McAleny produced a goalbound header which Silvestri did well to parry and Leeds responded by breaking the deadlock with their next attack. Robert Martinez’s defence was caught trailing as Mowatt exchanged a 1-2 with Sam Byram inside the area and the midfielder sized up Joel before beating him with a deft effort. Byram almost added a second when he seized on Wood’s crossfield pass and guided a lob over Joel’s crossbar and Wood put the result beyond doubt on 81 minutes when his 20-yard shot hit a defender’s leg and looped over Joel.
Teams: Leeds United: Silvestri, Berardi, Bamba, Bellusci, Taylor, Adeyemi (Wootton 81), Cook (Phillips 70), Mowatt (Antenucci 81), Byram, Wood (Morison 81), Doukara (Erwin 72). Subs (not used): Turnbull, Coyle, Cooper, Sloth, Horton. Everton: Joel, Robinson, Pennington, Browning, Jones, McCarthy (Cleveley 46), Barkley (Ledson 76), Oviedo, Dowell, Naismith (Mirallas 76), Kone (McAleny 46). Subs (not used): Stanek, Osman, Grant, Walsh. Referee: Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire) Attendance: 17,057
MATCH REPORT: Yorkshire Evening Post by Phil Hay: 02-08-2015
Leeds United 2 Everton 0: Whites let their football do the talking
Elland Road on Saturday found Leeds United at their most relaxed. Amusement ranged from a young mascot kiboshing the club’s chances of promotion – “probably not,” he replied when asked by the stadium announcer if Leeds were going up – to a streaker whose ball control needed some work. In between, where it actually mattered, the football left its own impression. Clubs like to look ready on the last weekend of pre-season and Leeds on the evidence of a win over Everton have their preparation under control. A winger should sign today and the hunt for that elusive animal is done. “We’re ready,” said head coach Uwe Rosler, turning his thoughts to the start of the season. Rosler promised a certain style of football when he took the job of head coach in May and there is no ambiguity in the methods of his team. A young Everton side were met with the shape, the intensity and the pressing that Rosler promised and Leeds turned them over with two unanswered goals. They were contained for the best part of an hour and run into the ground towards the end. It was easier to name the players missing from Everton’s side – Lukaku, Baines, Jagielka, Pienaar – than it was to list those included but as Rosler pointed out afterwards, the average age of the two line-ups was not so different and the inability of Ross Barkley, Steven Naismith and others to control the friendly was not his problem. “They had senior players, some top players, and young talented ones too,” Rosler said. “It was a very good encounter.” Everton’s manager, Roberto Martinez, skipped the post-match press conference, perhaps an admission of the fact that he had less to enthuse about than his German counterpart. With Duncan Ferguson’s testimonial against Villareal awaiting him yesterday, Martinez seemed to take the view it was best to prioritise a packed Goodison Park. Rosler never lets his confidence run wild but he had masses to talk about at full-time. His team were compact and disciplined, with exemplary organisation and pleasing knack of having numbers wherever the ball ran. Alex Mowatt’s opening goal was the product of a fine array of passing and Chris Wood’s 20-yard finish on 81 minutes was his first since joining the club for a fee of over £2m. “We’re not finished and we’re not there yet,” Rosler said, “but that’s not a criticism. It’s normal because we’ve only worked with the players for six-and-a-half weeks. Some issues will take longer to sort out but in that short time we’ve come a long way. “The team is prepared for the season and I said to the players ‘enjoy the weekend.’ From Monday we refocus on Burnley. We’re ready to go.” Leeds’ first Championship game is ahead of them now, at home to a club who won automatic promotion to the Premier League in 2014 and were relegated immediately last year. Rosler said before United’s friendly against Everton that his team for the visit to Burnley was not a closed shop but when the final whistle came on Saturday, he did not pretend that his existing line-up was about to change drastically. “You’ve seen the consistency we’ve shown in the last three or four games,” he said. “I think that answers the question.” The only change of note is likely to come if Stuart Dallas, as expected, completes his transfer to Elland Road from Brentford today. Rosler is preparing to sign the winger for the second time having taken him to Brentford three years ago and Leeds will pay around £1.3m for his signature once he passes a medical. Souleymane Doukara manned the left wing on Saturday and was involved in a sequence of passes which played Mowatt into score on fifty-seven minutes but the Frenchman’s input, and that of other players in that role this summer, explained again why Rosler wants a winger like Dallas on board. Mowatt had earlier produced the best of the first-half efforts, curling a shot wide from outside the box after Wood chested down Giuseppe Bellusci’s clearance and invited Lewis Cook to break forward. Everton were toothless without the injured Romelu Lukaku but bullied too by Sol Bamba, a defender who Leeds are expected to name as club captain this week. Martinez watched his team’s clearest opportunity go begging early in the second half when substitute Conor McAleny steered a free header close enough to Marco Silvestri for the goalkeeper to parry it and Leeds scored with their next attack. Pass followed pass through midfield before Doukara read Sam Byram’s run towards the edge of Everton’s box. Byram’s backheel to Mowatt was followed by a 1-2 between them which left Everton dancing in circles and Mowatt free inside the box. He swept his shot high into Joel’s net. “Those are the goals I like to see from my teams,” Rosler said. “In the first half our shape was very good. Everton found it difficult to break us down. “At times we could have used the ball better and helped Chris Wood up front but the shape overall was good. The players were disciplined and organised. In the second half it was the plan to play Mowatt almost as a second striker to give us more offensive power.” In isolation, Wood coped well, holding up possession, running into space and working an inexperienced defence who were still some of Everton’s better performers. His goal when it came nine minutes from time looped over a resigned-looking Joel with the help of a deflection off Antonee Robinson but the build-up was well worked by Tom Adeyemi, a convincing holding midfielder. “I’m delighted for Chris to be off the mark,” Rosler said. “It does the world of good for his confidence. You want your strikers to score goals. “Chris now has to grow into a player who plays forty-plus games a season. It’s a big ask. Wherever he’s played he’s always been an important part of the squad but for us he’s an integral part of the spine of the team. That’s his next task – to play forty-plus games – because I know he will score goals.” There is a degree of surety about a lot of what Leeds are doing and a crowd of 17,000 felt it. Rosler was surprised by the turn-out. “Wherever I managed before, there was never 17,000 at a last pre-season game,” he admitted. “I hope we can create an appetite for the Burnley game. “We’ll be facing a Premier League team, with Premier League players, a Premier League manager and a Premier League budget. That for us is the next big challenge. The fans know that and after today I think they’ll come.” He might just be right. Teams: Leeds United: Silvestri, Berardi, Bamba, Bellusci, Taylor, Adeyemi (Wootton 81), Cook (Phillips 70), Mowatt (Antenucci 81), Byram, Wood (Morison 81), Doukara (Erwin 72). Subs (not used): Turnbull, Coyle, Cooper, Sloth, Horton. Everton: Joel, Robinson, Pennington, Browning, Jones, McCarthy (Cleveley 46), Barkley (Ledson 76), Oviedo, Dowell, Naismith (Mirallas 76), Kone (McAleny 46). Subs (not used): Stanek, Mirallas, Cleverley, Osman, Grant, Walsh. Referee: Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire). Attendance: 17,057.
MATCH REPORT: Daily Mail by Ben Grounds: 01-08-2015
Leeds United 2-0 Everton: Alex Mowatt and Chris Wood strikes condemn Toffees to comfortable defeat at Elland Road
Alex Mowatt's cool finish for Leeds broke the deadlock after fifty-seven minutes, Chris Wood doubled the hosts' advantage with dipping shot in seventiethth minute.
Everton fielded a youthful team ahead Duncan Ferguson's testimonial. Toffees are in action again on Sunday against Villareal at Goodison Park
Leeds United capped off their preparations for the new Championship season next week with an impressive 2-0 win over an under-strength Everton at Elland Road. Following an uneventful first-half, Alex Mowatt broke the deadlock just shy of the hour-mark before Chris Wood doubled Leeds' lead with a long-range strike beyond Joel Robles. Everton chose to field a mixture of senior players and members of the Under-21 development squad, with the Merseyside club in action again on Sunday in Duncan Ferguson's testimonial. It was the visitors who had the game's first opening as Kieran Dowell, who made one Europa League appearance for the Blues last season, latched onto James McCarthy's pass before firing straight at Marco Silvestri. In a bright start in Yorkshire, Robles was next to be tested, with the Spanish stopper forced into action by a thumping Wood drive after seven minutes. With Everton set to face Villareal on Sunday at Goodison Park, Roberto Martinez chose to pick a youthful side for the first of two friendlies in little over twenty-four hours. The Toffees' inexperienced defensive quartet of Gethin Jones, Matthew Pennington, Tyias Browning and Antonee Robinson acquitted themselves well against their Championship opponents in a first-half low on goalmouth action. Mowatt saw his long-range shot whistle narrowly wide for the hosts, before Bryan Oviedo responded down the other end, but the Costa Rica international's shot was comfortably dealt with by Silvestre. Wood went close again to breaking the deadlock five minutes before the interval, but the striker's effort was correctly ruled out for offside. McCarthy was replaced by Tom Cleverley in the Everton midfield at half-time, with the former Manchester United player's name roundly booed by Leeds supporters. But it was the second of Martinez's substitutions Conor McAleny who looked liveliest upon the restart, with the 22-year-old striker seeing his header from Oviedo's cross saved by Silvestre. It was Everton's best move of the match, coming minutes before Leeds deservedly went in front, with Mowatt playing a neat one-two with Sam Byram before guiding the ball past Robles. The hosts nearly doubled their lead 10 minutes later when Wood picked out Byram with an inch-perfect ball over the top, but the versatile youngster clipped his effort just over the bar.
But Uwe Rosler's side didn't have to wait long to establish a two-goal cushion, as Wood took aim from twenty-five-yards before unleashing a venomous strike that took a cruel deflection on its way to looping over the head of the hapless Robles with twenty minutes remaining. Substitute Steve Morison came close to adding extra gloss to the scoreline for Leeds, but the Toffees' tired defence somehow managed to scramble the ball clear on the goal-line, as Martinez was left to reflect on his side's second defeat of pre-season.
MATCH FACTS: Leeds United: Silvestri, Berardi, Bamba (Erwin 72), Bellusci, Taylor, Adeyemi (Wootton 82), Cook (Phillips 70), Mowatt (Antenucci 82), Byram, Doukara, Wood (Morison 82). Unused subs: Turnbull, Coyle, Cooper, Sloth, Horton. Goals: Mowatt 57', Wood 70'. Everton: Joel, Robinson, Pennington, Browning, Jones, McCarthy (Cleverley 46), Barkley (Ledson 76), Oviedo, Dowell, Naismith (Mirallas 76), Kone (McAleny 46). Unused subs: Stanek, Osman, Grant, Walsh. Attendance: 17,057
MATCH REPORT: Liverpool Echo by Phil Kirkbride: 01-08-2015
Leeds United 2-0 Everton full-time report: Youthful Blues slip to friendly defeat
Two goals in second half make the difference as Martinez's men fall short
Everton suffered their second defeat of pre-season as a youthful side fell 2-0 at Leeds United. Goals from Alex Mowatt and Chris Wood in the second-half handed the Championship victory at Elland Road today. Everton struggled to create many chances of note with Conor McAleny’s header, excellently saved by Leeds goalkeeper Marco Silvestri, their best opportunity of the match. Kieran Dowell, one of a number of the Blues Academy players to feature in the game, went close with a pair of strikes while Bryan Oviedo saw a shot saved by Silvestri. But Leeds proved worthy winners and opened the scoring eleven minutes into the second-half when Mowatt finished off a neat one-two by squeezing the ball past Joel Robles. And the second came in the eightieth minute as Chris Wood, who had earlier forced a fine save out of Robles, saw his deflected shot loop over the Everton goalkeeper. Everton’s final warm-up game of the summer arrives at Goodison tomorrow when Villarreal are the visitors for a friendly that doubles as Duncan Ferguson’s testimonial. EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Robles, Jones, Pennington, Browning, Robinson, McCarthy (Cleverley 46), Barkley (Ledson 76), Dowell, Naismith (Mirallas 76), Oviedo, Kone (McAleny 46). Subs: Stanek, Osman, Grant, Walsh.
