21-07-13: Walsall (a) 0-1 (HT 0-1) Crowd (3,900)

Leeds united started with: Paddy Kenny; Lee Peltier, Tom Lees, Jason Pearce (Danny Pugh 80'), Stephen Warnock; Paul Green, Michael Tonge, Luke Murphy, Ross McCormack; Noel Hunt (Luke Varney 73'), Matt Smith (Dominic Poleon 46'). Unused Subs: Alex Cairns, Michael Brown, David Norris, Zac Thompson, Adam Drury. Walsall started the game with Richard O'Donnell (Liam Roberts 80'); James Chambers (Ben Purkiss 65'), Dean Holden (Andy Butler 65'), Paul Downing (Troy Hewitt 65'), Mal Benning (Griffiths 80'); Nicky Featherstone (Romaine Sawyers 65'), James Baxendale (Rico Henry 80'), Adam Chambers (James McQuilken 46'), Milan Lalkovic (Sam Mantom 65'); Craig Westcarr (Ben George 65'), Ashley Hemmings (Kieron Morris 65'). Unused substitutes: Reece Flanagan, Jake Heath.The crowd was 3,900 of which 1,707 were from Leeds. The Referee was Oliver Langford (West Midlands). The game started at a good pace with both sides giving no quarter. But it was the home side who struck the first blow when former Leeds Academy player James Baxendale accepted a through ball from Adam Chambers to square the ball to Craig Westcarr, who scored with a tremendous volley while in full flight. It was twenty-five minutes into the game before Leeds created their first chance and defender Tom Lees was denied by the home goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell, who pushed his firm header onto the crossbar after he had met Stephen Warnock's well flighted corner. Ross McCormack failed to beat the keeper from close range and Matt Smith had a shot cleared off the line by James Chambers, while at the other end James Baxendale wasted a good chance when he curled his shot wide of the post after thirty-five minutes. Dominic Poleon soon made his presence felt at the beginning of the second half, but should have done better than hit the goalkeepers chest just three minutes after coming on and Noel Hunt let the home side off the hook when he headed wide from ten yards. O'Donnell again frustrated Leeds as he parried away a goalbound shot from Michael Tonge but Walsall too had their frustrations with Ashley Hemmings failing to make a connection after James Baxendale had served him a ball which left him with only Paddy Kenny to beat after sixty-three minutes and when James McQuilken set up Ben Pukiss he volleyed over an open goal. Aidan White had a chance to equalise in the final stages but sent a spectacular volley into the crowd.

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