Mamady Sidibe added to Leeds' woes at the end of another tortuous week for
Terry Venables' side.
A moment of inspiration from Alan Smith early in the second half appeared
enough to settle Leeds' fraught FA Cup fourth-round trip to Gillingham.
But within moments of Mark Viduka's 80th-minute red card for an elbow on Gills
player-manager Andy Hessenthaler, Mali international Sidibe made Leeds pay by
driving home a deserved equaliser to set up a replay at Elland Road on February
4.
The build-up to this match had perhaps been overshadowed by a week of
unsavoury speculation at Leeds, with the anger of the fans manifesting itself in
the form of a pre-match protest, primarily aimed at chairman Peter Ridsdale.
With the United supporters housed in a terraced corner of the Priestfield
Stadium, they produced a large white banner with black lettering which pointedly
read: 'Peter why are you selling our soul?'
It was a clear reference to the sales this season of Rio Ferdinand, Robbie
Keane, Lee Bowyer and Olivier Dacourt, and with Jonathan Woodgate the subject of
Newcastle's interest and a potential £10million bid, and Seth Johnson still
talking over a move to Middlesbrough.
Their frustration has been matched by that of manager Terry Venables who has
made it abundantly clear he will consider his future if more players, in
particular England international centre-back Woodgate, are shipped out of Elland
Road.
Just seconds before England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson was announced to and
applauded by the crowd, Leeds supporters broke into a cry of "Sack the board"
and followed that with a further chant of "Woody, Woody."
They at least put their differences with the board aside for the match, and
again voiced their support for a team whose numbers could yet be further
diminished by next Friday.
The possible loss of Woodgate, should the Magpies eventually make a bid, is
the one which is causing great consternation to supporters and Venables, one
which would lead to serious repercussions both on and off the pitch.
In the 23-year-old's absence due to a thigh injury, Leeds still defended
resolutely and they had to as Gillingham made them work for the replay.
The Gills had warmed up for this tie in warm, balmy conditions at La Manga in
Spain and on pitches more ideally suited to Leeds' passing game, which was in
stark contrast to the scene which greeted the Kent side's illustrious visitors.
Hessenthaler has described the Priestfield Stadium pitch as "dangerous," and
due to its rutted nature and the way it cut up, it was easy to see why.
Many areas had also been filled with sand, although it was not as bad as at
Stamford Bridge recently where Chelsea's pitch for their Barclaycard Premiership
clash against Charlton resembled Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
In an attempt to make the most of the conditions they had become used to,
Gillingham stormed the Leeds goal in the opening exchanges, although not
primarily as expected with high balls to 6ft 4in Sidibe and 6ft 1in Guy Ipoua up
front.
Their own passing game was also in evidence, and at times Leeds' back line of
Gary Kelly, Lucas Radebe, skipper Dominic Matteo and Teddy Lucic creaked, until
finally giving way in the 82nd minute.
With just 90 seconds gone they found themselves under pressure as a flick-on
from the imposing Sidibe, affectionately known as 'Big Mama', found Ipoua for a
right-foot overhead kick from 12 yards which Paul Robinson let drift past his
left-hand post.
That was how the majority of Gillingham's chances ended up throughout the
game, and primarily the opening half as Chris Hope, Barry Ashby and Paul Smith
all went close.
Leeds, who struggled to make any headway in attack, were fortunate not to be a
goal down at the break for Gillingham spurned the best opportunity of the half
in the only minute of injury time.
A Hessenthaler corner was nodded on by Hope for a first-time sidefoot shot
from Ipoua, only for it to strike the base of the post.
Within three minutes of the restart, Smith showed Gillingham how to finish for
after picking himself up following a clumsy challenge by Paul Shaw, he then
curled a sweet 25-yard right-foot free-kick round the wall and into the top
right-hand corner of the net for his eighth goal of the season and his first
since November 17.
Harry Kewell should have killed the Gills off moments later, but in receiving
a long goal-kick from Paul Robinson and then forcing Jason Brown to commit
himself, the Australia star remarkably blazed over from close range.
That, and the dismissal of compatriot Viduka, spurred Gillingham on and it was
left to Sidibe to give his side another crack at a giantkilling.
Teams:
Gillingham: Brown, Southall, Edge, Ashby, Hope, Hessenthaler,
Smith, Saunders, Shaw, Ipoua (Wallace 72), Sidibe.
Subs Not Used: Bartram, Leon Johnson, Spiller, Perpetuini.
Goals: Sidibe 82.
Leeds: Robinson, Kelly, Lucic, Radebe, Matteo, Bakke, Okon,
Wilcox, Kewell, Smith, Viduka.
Subs Not Used: Martyn, Harte, Duberry, Fowler, Milner.
Sent Off: Viduka (81).
Booked: Matteo.
Goals: Smith 49.
Att: 11,093
Ref: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).
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