The cruel luck which currently seems to be hanging over Barnsley like a pall
of smoke struck for the third successive game as defender Adie Moses handed
Leeds victory on a plate - with the game again ending controversially.
Barnsley goalkeeper Dave Watson had produced a heroic display to keep his
side's Premiership dreams alive and seemingly further dent Leeds' UEFA Cup
hopes.
But after a string of sensational saves, it took a bullet header from the
unfortunate Moses 11 minutes from time to finally beat him.
Then, in injury time, Macedonian international Georgi Hristov was sent off for
a double dose of dissent in a matter of seconds for what appeared to be backchat
towards referee Keith Burge and one of his linesmen.
The dismissal came just a week after Barnsley had three players shown the red
card during a tempestuous 3-2 defeat at home to Liverpool.
Prior to that double blow, Barnsley had been on course for a vital point in
their bid to beat the drop, but as against Liverpool and Blackburn in the two
previous matches, the wheel of fortune again spun against manager Danny Wilson's
side.
Steve McManaman and Kevin Gallagher had hammered nails in the Tykes'
relegation coffin with late goals in both those games - and this time it was
Moses.
An Ian Harte corner saw Moses leap in an attempt to head clear, but he managed
only to power the ball past Watson and keep Leeds on course for a top six finish
and a place in Europe.
The victory was well deserved and banished the memory of Leeds'
near-disastrous plane drama earlier this week following the shock 3-0 hammering
at West Ham on Monday.
The United team escaped with their lives following an emergency crash-landing
at Stansted Airport on Tuesday morning as the pilot was forced to abort
take-off, with his plane already 150 feet in the air, when he noticed an engine
was on fire.
But there were no ill-effects and Graham must have wondered how his side were
not at least three goals clear by the break as a trio of stunning saves from
Watson and a contender for miss-of-the-season managed to keep Barnsley in the
hunt.
Australian international Harry Kewell, back in the team after his
FIFA-enforced ban which saw him on the sidelines for the clash at Upton Park,
and Hasselbaink had the measure of the youngest centre-back combination in the
Premiership as Moses, Scott Jones (both 22) and Chris Morgan (20) were caught
cold at times.
Hasselbaink and Kewell combined as early as the fourth minute with the
Dutchman putting his teenage strike partner through, but a close range,
left-foot shot was scrambled round the post by Watson.
The duo were then involved in a delightful chance 60 seconds later as Bruno
Ribeiro started and came close to finishing an incisive move.
The Portuguese midfielder fed Kewell, who in turn passed on to Hasselbaink and
his backheel set Ribeiro up with a clear shooting opportunity which he dragged
across the face of goal and inches wide.
With Barnsley restricted to long-range scoring opportunities, it came as no
surprise when Leeds took a 20th minute lead.
Ribeiro's outswinging corner was headed back into the six-yard area by David
Wetherall, back in the starting line-up after two games on the bench, for
Hasselbaink to send a flying header into the top right hand corner for his 17th
of the season.
Watson then came to the fore, beating away goalbound shots from both Kewell
and Hasselbaink in the space of 10 minutes after the two had been given a clear
sight of goal.
Then, five minutes from the break, came Barnsley's lifeline as Hasselbaink
somehow contrived to miss from just four yards out with the goal at his mercy.
Bowyer robbed skipper Neil Redfearn just inside the halfway line and strode
forward before feeding Kewell, whose cross evaded the grasp of Watson, leaving
Hasselbaink with the simplest of tap-in chances.
It appeared more difficult to fire wide of the target, but the Dutchman
managed it as his sidefoot shot on the slide was aimed back across goal and
inches past the right-hand post again.
It was the great escape Barnsley needed as with a minute left on the clock and
with not having seen the whites of Nigel Martyn's eyes by this time, they were
back in the game with an equaliser against the run of play.
Watson's long goalkick was taken by Hristov, passed back to Ashley Ward and
then to Darren Barnard, before the Welsh international swung in a deep cross to
the far post where Hristov side-footed first time past Martyn.
The goal gave Barnsley new heart and fresh impetus, but it was Leeds who
should been on the scoresheet just after the hour - but they were again denied
by the brilliance of Watson.
A mix-up between Morgan and Martin Bullock allowed promising teenage
midfielder Stephen McPhail, on at the break for the injured Ribeiro, to stab
goalwards from inside the six-yard box, but Watson bravely blocked.
A Ward shot on the turn nearly went through the legs of Martyn in the 68th
minute, which immediately led to a Leeds counter-attack.
Only a ricocheted ball off a Barnsley defender kept Gunnar Halle onside,
allowing him to stride forward into the area with only Watson to beat, but his
curled 15-yard shot forced the Tykes' hero into another stunning stop.
Watson then thwarted Kelly in the 75th minute, before Moses' heartbreaking
own-goal and Hristov's dismissal, as Barnsley slumped to their third straight
defeat.
Teams
Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Wetherall, Molenaar, Hiden, Harte, Halle,
Bowyer, Ribeiro (McPhail 46), Kewell, Hasselbaink.
Subs Not Used: Hopkin, Lilley, Jackson, Beeney.
Goals: Hasselbaink 20, Moses 80 og.
Barnsley: Watson, Eaden, Moses, Redfearn, Bullock (Marcelle 79),
Bosancic, Jones (Fjortoft 82), Hristov, Barnard, Ward, Morgan.
Subs Not Used: Sheridan, De Zeeuw, Leese.
Sent Off: Hristov (89).
Booked: Redfearn.
Goals: Hristov 44.
Att: 37,749
Ref: K W Burge (Tonypandy).
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