After the tour of Ireland United returned to England to play two games in one weekend and the squad was split into two teams and on 22nd July one played at Guiseley and the other at Peterborough United on the following day. While neither team could truly claim to be the "first team" it seemed that the team for the Peterborough had the likely first choice defence and several other clear contenders for the first choice team. The team that lined up at Guiseley's Nethermoor Ground on a pleasant summer's Friday evening was: Marco Silvestri; Lewie Coyle, Paul McKay, Toumani Diagouraga, Tyler Denton; Kalvin Phillips; Ronaldo Vieira, Jordan Botaka; Eoghan Stokes, Souleymane Doukara, Chris Wood. Substitutes: Ross Turnbull, Michael Taylor, Jamie Shackleton, Jack McKay. While Guiseley were: Dan Atkinson, Danny East, Lee Spires, Ashley Palmer, Adam Lockwood, Jake Lawlor, Josh Falkingham, Will Hatfield, David Syers, Oli Johnson, Jordan Preston. Substitutes: Ed Wilczynski, Nicky Boshell, Adam Boyes, Michael Rankine, Devonte Morton, Javan Vidal. The Guiseley side contain three former Leeds United Academy players, goalkeeper Dan Atkinson, and midfielders Will Hatfield and Josh Falkingham, who all started. Guiseley, of the Vanarama National League, or fifth tier of the Football League took United by surprise as they raced into a 3-0 lead after just twenty-four minutes. Leeds had threatened to score after just forty-three seconds, when Chris Wood got behind the Guiseley defence but a fine one-handed save by Dan Atkinson had saved the day for the home side. It was the home side that took advantage of midfielder Toumani Diagouraga playing in central defence alongside the inexperienced Paul McKay and Marco Silvestri was already having a torrid time in the Leeds goal and had already made a diving save to thwart Jordan Preston, in the sixth minute. But just one minute later, Ash Palmer opened the scoring, when, after sustained pressure his well-placed header beat Marco Silvestri who got a hand to it but could not keep it out. Leeds did go on the attack with Lewie Coyle making a good run down the right, but his good deep cross was gathered by Dan Atkinson in the tenth minute. Jake Lawlor doubled the home side's advantage just two minutes later when he stabbed the ball home from close range at the far post after a towering header from a simple set-piece had been parried straight to him by Marco Silvestri. Leeds were stung into action and in the eighteenth minute Toumani Diagouraga floated a ball into the danger area for Chris Wood to challenge Dan Atkinson, but the big striker was flagged offside. Two minutes later after a cross from the right by Lewie Coyle had been turned behind, the ensuing Kalvin Phillips corner caused a scramble in the Guiseley goalmouth before the home side cleared. The impressive Ronaldo Vieira then gave Souleymane Doukara a good opportunity, but the striker put his effort over the bar. Ash Palmer got his second of the night as the Guiseley lead was extended to 3-0 in the twenty-fourth minute. He stabbed the ball home from six yards with a goal remarkably similar to Jake Lawler's of less than a quarter of an hour previous, as Leeds again failed to deal with a ball sent into the box from a set -piece and their poor defending was an obvious weakness. Leeds responded well and, in the twenty-sixth minute, Lewie Coyle got in another cross from the right which Chris Wood met at the back post but lacked direction and it went wide of the mark. After Souleymane Doukara had missed two relatively easy chances, Tyler Denton got in a low cross from the left in the thirty-seventh minute, but Dan Atkinson managed to cut it off before there was more danger. The continued United pressure did pay off and United did restore some pride on the stroke of half-time when, from eighteen yards, Eoghan Stokes put a fine half-volley past Dan Atkinson in the Guiseley goal after Chris Wood's initial strike had deflected into his path. Both sides made one change after the half-time break, with Ross Turnbull replacing Marco Silvestri in goal for Leeds and Adam Boyes coming on for Oli Johnson for Guiseley. Garry Monk must have had much to say at half-time, as his team looked a different team in the second half. From the very start of the new half they showed an improved attitude with bright play which resulted in Souleymane Doukara getting in a fine header from a Tyler Denton cross from the left, but it rattled the woodwork, two minutes into the second half. From the rebound Jordan Botaka's shot was blocked and a minute later Kalvin Phillips had a first-time shot but it sailed over the bar. Phillips continued to impress and in the fifty-fifth minute he had a goalbound effort finely saved by Dan Atkinson at the expense of a corner. United continued on the attack and two minutes later Lewie Coyle sent over another cross from the right, which Chris Wood met with a stooping header that looped over the bar. In the sixty-first minute it was again Chris Wood that got behind the Guiseley defence, but he was thwarted by a brave save from Dan Atkinson, who dived to save at his feet. It was no surprise when United reduced the deficit to one after sixty- three minutes when Jordan Botaka twisted and turned to get free in the penalty area before shooting under Dan Atkinson from an acute angle. Three minutes later Ronaldo Vieira side-footed a shot over the bar from the edge of the penalty area. Guiseley were still in the game and in the sixty-ninth minute they went close from a free-kick. Then in the next minute Will Hatfield also went close. United kept up their momentum and pulled level in the seventy-first minute, when Kalvin Phillips got in ferocious shot from twenty-five yards from the right of the goal which was helped past Dan Atkinson by a slight deflection but still nestled in the top corner. This prompted Guiseley to go to the bench for reinforcements as Nicky Boshell came on for Danny East and Michael Rankine replaced Adam Lockwood. It did not stem the flow adequately as just two minutes later United got the winner when Souleymane Doukara found the bottom corner of the net as he tapped in from close range to ensure that United eventually ran out 4-3 winners. The crowd of 2,433 had seen an exciting game and with nine minutes left on the clock Jordan Botaka almost gave Leeds a fifth as he tried to poke the ball past Dan Atkinson with a close range chance. It proved to be the last goalmouth action of the game.
Programme, Teamsheet & Ticket:
Courtesy Kenny Sharpe http://www.leedsunitedprogrammeguide.co.uk/Index.html
MATCH REPORT: Yorkshire Evening Post by Phil Hay: 22-07-2016
Guiseley 3 Leeds United 4
Leeds United fought back from a brittle start against Guiseley to overcome a 0-3 deficit and claim a 4-3 win at Nethermoor tonight. Guiseley took advantage of a makeshift defence to score three timesin the opening twenty-three minutes but a reply from Eoghan Stokes just before the break was the start of a concerted fightback from United. Garry Monk's side , contesting the first of two friendlies in the space of twenty-four hours, the second away to Peterborough United tomorrow, struggled badly early on but Stokes' effortreduced the arrears to 1-3 and Jordan Botaka, Kalvin Phillips and Souleymanr Doukara picked off tiring Guiseley in a much better second half. Leeds were almost in front after forty-three seconds, when Chris Wood, the most prominent player picked by Monk, brought a one-handed save from goalkeeper Dan Atkinson, after breaking behind Guiseley's defence. But United's backline , with midfielder Toumani Diagouraga covering again in the centre alongside youngster Paul McKay, did not take long to show signs of weakness and Marco Silvestri had already denied Jordan Preston with a diving save when Guiseley opened the scoring. A deep cross found Leeds out of shape and Ash Palmer made no mistake with a free headerfrom close range. Silvestri, who is out of favour at Elland Road and was making his first appearance of the summer, got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out. Palmer's strike was the first blow in a dismal first half which ought to have provoked stern words from Monk at the interval. United's line-up was young and make-shift in part, undoubtably the weaker of the line-up picked for tonight's friendly or tomorrow's match at Peterborough United, but the opening forty-five minutes were almost without redeeming features. Jake Lawlor Claimed a second goal after thirteen minutes when a simple set-piece ended in a tap-in and Palmer struck again from point-blank range on twenty-three minutes, again as a result of poor defending. Souleymane Doukara passed up two chances before Eoghan Stokes pulled back a goal on the stroke of half-time with a fierce volley from eighteen yards. Monk's words at half-time had some effect and Leeds struck the woodwork immediately after the restart when Doukara's header clipped the outside of a post. United went on to dominate the second periodand Botaka reduced the deficit furthert on sixty-three minutes when he took advantage of a loss of possession. Phillips then produced a brilliant, top corner strike to level the match with nineteen minutes left and Guisely crumbled moments later as Doukara tapped in from close-range.
Guiseley: Atkinson; East (Boshell 71'), Spires, Palmer, Lockwood (Rankine 71'), Lawlor, Falkingham, Hatfield, Syers, Johnson (Boyes 46'), Preston.
Leeds United : Silvestri; Coyle, P. McKay, Diagouraga, Denton; Phillips, Viera, Botaka; Stokes, Doukara, Wood. Substitutes: M. Taylor, Shackleton, J. McKay.
MATCH REPORT: Yorkshire Post by Phil Hay: 23-07-2016
Guiseley 3 Leeds United 4: Whites recover from poor start to tame the Lions.
If Garry Monk was trying to keep his ideas under wraps, it is safe to say that his line-up on the first day of the Championship season will look more like it does at Peterborough United this afternoon than it did at Guiseley last night.Leeds United's head coach promised to spread first team playersacross back-to-back friendliesin the space of twenty-four hoursbut their was obvious weakness about the side who started at Nethermoor both in personnel and their performance. Monk, who was on the touchline, will have more to look at in Peterborough later and must be more inclined than ever to favour that group after a 4-3 win over non-league opponents. Monk talked up the fitness aspect of two matches in close proximity but with two weeks to the start of the season hw could not have anticipated his players at Guiseley making themselves look so second string from the kick-off. Leeds were 3-0 down after twenty-three minutes as Mark Bowers Lions sunk their teeth into a makeshift defence and caused havoc with hanging crosses into the box. There is the makings of a good starting line-up at Leeds after six signings in the past month but the story on tour in Ireland last week, reiterated in the early stages at Nethermoor, is the absence of the depth needed for two first-team friendlies in as many days and for a full season in the Championship. Guiseley's goals stemmed from the fact that, with Sol Bamba and Kyle Bartley in Peterborough, Monk was compelled to employ a centre-back pairing of Toumani Diagouraga and Paul McKay. That area remains the biggest priority in the transfer market, if not the only concern. Neither McKay nor Diagouraga were able to deal with the deliveries which gave Ash Palmer and Jake Lawlor easy finishes within thirteen minutes. Palmer scored again from close range soon after, again as the result of a direct set-piece, and every attempt by Guiseley to hook the ball into the box threatened a goal. Leeds loked too far adrift to recover but Eoghan Stokes struck at the very end of the first half and a vastly improved second, in which United got a grip and Guiseley began to tire, saw Jordan Botaka, Kalvin Phillips and Soulemayne Doukara bank a third straight pre-season win. Monk's words at half-time had the desired effect. At face value, the arrangement of two friendlies in such a short period did not seem ideal. Monk, whose belated arrival as head coach limited the range of fixtures available to him, committed to attending both matches and was straight on the phone afterwards. He had been at pains to stress that neither line-up used by him should be seen as his best and that the game at Guiseley was not necessarily the lesser of the two fixtures. In amongst the diplomacy, his primary concern was pushing his senior players through their first ninety minutes of the summer. There is no doubt, however, that the stronger of the two sides had been sent by Monk to face Peterborough at London Road. His line-up last night was studded with Chris Wood, Doukara, Botaka, and Diagouraga but Monk included plenty of youngsters, sixteen-year-old Jamie Shackleton amongst them as a substitute, and gave Marco Silvestri his first appearance of the summer. The goalkeeper is training with the Under-Twenty-One's and primed to leave Elland Road but the timing and demands of this week's games brought him back in the public eye and he started at Guiseley with Ross Turnbull on the bench. Silvestri's appearance is unlikely to be indicitive of a return to favour and he spent much of the first half fishing the ball out of his net. Ross Turnbull replaced him at the break. Around Guiseley's goals there were chances for Leeds and Wood had the best of them, a shot in the very first minute which Guiseley keeper Dan Atkinson tipped past his far post. Doukara fired another opportunity over the crossbarafter a lovely pass from Ronaldo Vieira and then missed by inches having broken from half-way but the first half was without much mitigation until Stokes scored in the forty-fifth minute with a classy volley from eighteen yards. With Monk's words in their ears, Leeds emerged for the second half and struck the woodwork immediately as Doukara's header clipped the outside of a post. Their dominance grew as the game edged towards the hour mark and Botaka took advantage of it in the sixty-third minute when his break down the left ended with a low shot under Atkinson. Sensing the cavalry coming, Guiseley's spirit began to wilt and Atkinson had no chance when Phillips brilliantly picked out the top corner of the net in the seventy-first minute, levelling the score. Within moments, Doukara tucked away the winner from close range, ensuring the outcome that Monk would have looked for.
Guiseley: Atkinson; East (Boshell 71'), Spires, Palmer, Lockwood (Rankine 71'), Lawlor, Falkingham, Hatfield, Syers, Johnson (Boyes 46'), Preston.
Leeds United : Silvestri (Turnbull 46'); Coyle, P. McKay, Diagouraga, Denton; Phillips, Viera, Botaka; Stokes, Doukara, Wood. Substitutes: M. Taylor, Shackleton, J. McKay.
