Leeds reject Tomas Brolin endured a painful and frustrating afternoon against
his former club as his new side Crystal Palace crashed to yet another home
defeat at Selhurst Park.
Brolin was branded a trouble maker and condemned to training on his own at
Leeds before he was finally dumped by the club earlier this season.
After finally returning to football with Palace, and claiming he had not been
treated as a human being by Leeds, he clearly had a point to prove against
George Graham's side.
But his day went from bad to worse within the first five minutes as he emerged
to boos from the Leeds fans, was jeered when he touched the ball and went down
clutching his head after an apparent off the ball clash with Bruno Ribeiro.
The Swedish international went back to the dressing room for stitches and just
seconds later, with Palace down to 10 men, Rod Wallace opened the scoring.
Wallace, who is currently on the transfer list after apparently refusing to
discuss a new contract, escaped the offside trap to capitalise on Gary Kelly's
through ball and shoot past Palace keeper Kevin Miller.
Brolin returned the fray six minutes later, wearing a white bandage around his
head, but did not even touch the ball before Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink doubled
Leeds' advantage with a pile driver from 20 yards that seemed to take a
deflection on its way into the net.
The Swede, playing in midfield, was shadowed wherever he went by man marker
Lucas Radebe, who was returning from a back injury and delaying a trip to join
up with the South African squad - a decision Brolin was to regret.
With his head covered in blood after removing the bandage, the only time the
28-year-old found time and space in the first half was when Radebe himself went
off injured for two minutes treatment on the side lines.
Yet even then, Bruce Dyer, a hat trick hero last week, scuffed his shot after
Brolin had threaded a through ball to Marcus Bent.
Wallace saw one effort fly just inches over and another deflected wide as
Palace old boy David Hopkin, warmly welcomed back after doing so much to secure
the Eagles promotion last season, dominated the midfield.
In the second half, Brolin dropped deeper and deeper in a desperate attempt to
make an impact on the game, his touch and vision still obvious but his match
fitness clearly not yet back after a lengthy lay off from the game.
And although Palace remained encamped in the Leeds half, their inability to
win a Premiership match at home this season or to score enough goals to prevent
them dropping into relegation trouble was highlighted as they failed to get a
goal back.
They did have a couple of half chances, with an effort from Bent deflected
over the bar by the impressive Radebe and Dean Gordon firing inches over with a
powerful long range shot.
But Leeds keeper Nigel Martyn was most at risk when the ball cannoned off one
of his own defenders straight into his arms before he pulled off a wonderful
reaction save from Hermann Hreidarsson.
Leeds were always dangerous on the break and Wallace spurned two late chances
to score their third goal, firstly when he shot weakly after an horrendous error
by Jamie Smith and then was denied by the save of the match from Miller.
Brolin was left to reflect on a disappointing day as the Leeds fans
mercilessly taunted him about the scoreline and his weight - and he was the
first player to run off the pitch at the final whistle.
Teams:
Crystal Palace (0) 0 Leeds (2) 2
Crystal Palace: Miller, Edworthy, Gordon, Roberts, Linighan,
Dyer, Brolin, Bent, Smith, Ismael, Hreidarsson.
Subs Not Used: Nash, Quinn, Emblen, Boxall, Ginty.
Booked: Hreidarsson, Bent, Gordon.
Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Robertson, Radebe, Wetherall, Wallace,
Hasselbaink (Matthews 86), Ribeiro, Hopkin, Kewell,
Molenaar (Haaland 61).
Subs Not Used: Bowyer, Beeney, Halle.
Booked: Haaland.
Goals: Wallace 7, Hasselbaink 13.
Att: 25,248
Ref: U D Rennie (Sheffield).
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