23-07-08: Shelbourne (a) 1-1 (HT 1-1) Crowd (3,127)

The tour of Eire moved to Dublin and the final game with Shelbourne as goalkeeper Alan Martin was given his chance and trialist Luciano Becchio was given his debut. Lacking the injured Jermaine Beckford and Andy Robinson, United started with: Alan Martin; Frazer Richardson, Rui Marques, Paul Huntington, Alan Sheehan; Jonathan Douglas, David Prutton, Jonathan Howson, Bradley Johnson; Luciano Becchio, Enoch Showunmi. Despite having an important league game on the following Friday night, Shelbourne manager Dermot Keely opted to field a starting line up that contained eight players that would be considered first team regulars. They were joined by UCD's Darren Forsyth and Greg Bolger. Leeds fielded a strong line up, including Irish players Alan Sheehan and Jonathan Douglas. Paul Huntington lead the side and Luciano Becchio was soon in the action as he shot wide in the first minute. There was little action in the opening fifteen minutes other than Bradley Johnson having a free-kick blocked and Alan Martin making a routine save at the other end. Becchio was proving to be a handful for the Shelbourne defence and the keeper was harried into a mistake and the new man steered the loose ball goal-wards but a desperate goal line clearance denied him. However, after Jonathan Howson had rattled a post, a goalkeeping error by Alan Martin, who cleared straight to Anthony Flood, Shelbourne’s leading scorer, and he scored the easiest of goals, after twenty-three minutes. Unfortunately for him ten minutes later his game was over after a challenge from Rui Marques left him stretchered off into the waiting ambulance and the game started to get out of control with fouls and yellow cards being issued to both sides as tempers continued to rise. It was Paul Huntington, who had been in the thick of the action and on the receiving end of some dubious challenges, that got United’s equalizer on the stroke of half-time as an Enoch Showunmi effort from a corner was going wide when the big defender appeared at the far post to head home. Lubo Michalik came on after half-time for Rui Marques, who had already been booked and then Ben Parker replaced Bradley Johnson four minutes later before on sixty-two minutes Robert Bayly, Paul Telfer, Scott Gardner and Peter Sweeney replaced Jonathan Douglas, Paul Huntington, David Prutton and Jonathan Howson, but Enoch Showunmi shot wide and Luciano Becchio headed straight at the keeper when well positioned. On seventy-three minutes Luciano Becchio’s debut game came to an end as he was replaced by fellow trialist Marcus Haber and six minutes later the Canadian shot wide and then put a header wide also. Peter Sweeney was causing trouble with his free-kicks and Lubomir Michalik got on the end of one but fired straight at the keeper, while at the other end Alan Martin was proving equal to the task and twice saved well as the game petered out to a 1-1 draw. Highlights of the second half were when Jonathan Douglas fired wide from inside the box, and just before the hour mark Becchio was again giving the Shelbourne defence problems. He got in front of his marker, but could only direct his header straight into the arms of substitute keeper John McGuinness. Leeds trialist Marcus Haber then came close when he was set free on the right hand side. Peter McGlynn had a glimpse of goal with ten minutes remaining, but Alan Martin was quick off his line to narrow the angles. Scott Gardner had the ball in the net in the dying minutes, however the linesman judged him to be offside. The two keepers, Casper Ankergren and David Lucas, were the only Leeds players not to get a run. For the home side their substitues were goalkeeper, John McGuinness, defenders Niall O'Reilly, Robbie Hedderman, Dean Lawrence and Peter McGlynn midfielders Andrei Georgescu, Mark O,Brien and Gary McCabe and Brian Farrell and Notando.

Programme:

Ticket: Courtesy Mark Ledgard: