11-07-08: York City (a) 1-1 (HT 1-1) Crowd (4,405)

United started their pre-season on 12th July 2008 at the Kit Kat Crescent against York City. Gary McAllister had twenty-four players on his team-sheet and made a complete change at half time. In the first half his line up was: Casper Ankergren; Frazer Richardson, Rob Bayly, Paul Huntington, Ben Parker; Jonathan Douglas, David Prutton, Peter Sweeney, Andy Hughes; Jermaine Beckford, Curtis Weston. A fine run and cross by Andy Hughes saw Jermaine Beckford force the ball home from close range to give United the lead after twenty-five minutes. With Rob Bayly partnering Paul Huntington in central defence and Curtis Weston partnering Jermaine Beckford up front Leeds looked disjointed at times. Soon after the goal Beckford should have doubled the lead but hit the side netting, while before half time York midfielder Sodje should have equalised but Ankergren saved with his feet but two minutes before half-time he did equalise at the second attempt. For the second half United lined up: Alan Martin; Scott Gardner, Lubomir Michalik, Ian Westlake, Alan Sheehan; Sebastien Carole, Jonathan Howson, Neil Kilkenny, Bradley Johnson; Enoch Showunmi, Andy Robinson, with debuts for the last two. Robinson impressed and nearly scored with a curling free-kick after Alan Sheehan had been brought down. Sheehan also sent in a shot which was just over the bar. Bradley Johnson suffered a knee injury and with three minutes left on the clock he was replaced by Tom Elliott and just on time Alan Martin made sure the scores remained level with a good fingertip save. Sebastian Sorsa remained on the bench, being the only player not to get a run. York too gave chances to two different teams and Goalkeeper Josh Mimms, Full Backs Danny Parslow and Andy McWilliams, Central Defenders Josh Radcliffe and Steven Hogg and Midfielders Jimmy Beadle, Simon Rusk, Niall Henderson and winger Liam Shepherd and strikers Richard Brodie and Adam Boyes were the players to be substitutes. There were 2,387 Leeds supporters in the crowd of 4,405 in a game refereed by Jon Moss of Leeds.

Programme, Teamsheet, & Ticket:

08-08-12: Newcastle United Reserves (h) 1-1 Thorpe Arch (HT 1-1) Crowd (?)

The Leeds starting line-up contained two trialists, one in central defence and one in midfield, but it was Dominic Poleon that gave Leeds the lead, after twenty minutes. He pressurized the keeper, Jak Alnwick, into conceding a penalty after he caught him in two minds about how to handle a back-pass and the unfortunate keeper had to foul him to prevent him from scoring. The striker took the penalty himself and confidently beat the keeper. The Magpies responded quickly, with Conor Newton bringing a decent stop from Alex Cairns after Haris Vuckic had created a chance for him. Adam Campbell was also foiled by a smart smothering save by the Leeds keeper. Newcastle fielded several first-team fringe players and three of them combined to score the Newcastle equalizer. Frenchman Mehdi Abeid, recently signed from Lens and new signing Curtis Good figured strongly, for Haris Vuckic to race onto Paul Dummett's long ball and beat the offside trap to draw Newcastle level after thirty-four minutes. Conor Newton then teed up Bradden Inman, whose effort was tipped around the post, before Alnwick more than redeemed himself for his role in the Leeds opener with three good saves before the break. Newcastle made four changes for the start of the second-half. Steven Logan came on for Alex Nicholson in midfield, defender Lubo Satka replaced Mehdi Abeid and strikers, Marcus Maddison, who came on for Yven Moyo, and JJ Hooper, who replaced Haris Vuckic. However, it was goalkeeper Jak Alnwick that made another great stop early in the second half, somehow keeping out a deflected shot which looked to be looping in. In the fiftieth minute Leeds had made a double substitution when a Trialist replaced Lewis Turner and Nathan Turner replaced another Trialist. There were a succession of quick replacements made by both sides on the hour mark. Leeds started by Ross Killock replacing Paul Connolly in Central Defence and a minute later Newcastle brought on midfielders Dennis Knight, for Michael Richardson, and Brandon Miele for Adam Campbell and two minutes later sent on defender Michael Riley for Curtis Good. Substitute JJ Hooper was ruled offside as he tapped home the rebound from Dennis Knight's shot, which had been parried by Alex Cairns, before the Leeds keeper denied Marcus Maddison after a spot of ball-juggling in the box resulted in a well-struck effort from the teenage winger. After eighty minutes Leeds made their final change as Ramon Nunez was replaced by another Trialist, leaving keeper Paul Rachubka and striker Simon Lenighan unused on the Leeds bench, while keeper Jonathan Mitchell remained on the Newcastle bench. With three minutes left, Brandon Miele's Twenty-yard curler crashed back off the angle of post and bar, but Conor Newton was well wide with his shot from the rebound and a draw was a fair result.