16-07-08: Galway United (h) 2-0 (HT 1-0) Crowd (2,749)

United the took off on their tour of Ireland playing their first game on the West Coast against Galway United on Wednesday 16th July 2008. The starting eleven was: Casper Ankergren; Frazer Richardson, trialist Paul Telfer, Paul Huntington, Alan Sheehan; Jonathan Howson, Andy Hughes, Andy Robinson, Bradley Johnson; Jermaine Beckford, Enoch Showunmi. Gary McAllister changed policy and played substitutes rather than using a different team in each half in an effort to give his first choices extra time on the pitch. Paul Telfer was given his first chance, partnering Paul Huntington in central defence. Leeds played neat football and Beckford had the ball in the net but was ruled out for offside after eighteen minutes. Five minutes later Enoch Showunmi headed narrowly over from an Alan Sheehan cross after good work by from Andy Robinson and Jonathan Howson. It was Robinson who provided Jermaine Beckford with the chance to put United in front two minutes later and this time he made no mistake to get his second goal of the pre-season, when he beat the thirty-seven year-old Galway Player-Manager, Jeff Kenna, for pace to shoot left-footed into the corner of the net from close range. Much less than a minute into the second half it was Beckford again who extended the Leeds lead when he picked up an Andy Hughes pass just inside the Galway half and, after a strong run, scored with a chip over the keeper which went in off the underside of the bar. Paul Telfer had looked assured but was lucky to not to concede a penaty early in the second half. Gary McAllister rang the changes after sixty-two minutes, giving twenty-one year-old Canadian Under-Twenty-one International Marcus Haber a chance in place of Jermaine Beckford and Robert Bayly, Jonathan Douglas, Peter Sweeney and David Prutton replaced Jonathan Howson, Andy Hughes, Bradley Johnson and Andy Robinson. Twelve minutes later he sent on Alan Martin in goal for Casper Ankergren, Scott Gardner for Frazer Richardson, Lubomir Michalik for Paul Telfer, Ben Parker for Alan Sheehan, leaving Rui Marques unused on the bench and Paul Huntington and Enoch Showunmi to play the full ninety minutes, as the game got a little scrappy and the home side missed a few chances. The Home side made many changes to their line-up, with their second half line-up being: Gary Rogers; Seamus Conneely, Alan Keane, Paul Sinnott, Rune Hansen; Jonathan Keane, Ciaran Foley, Cian McBrien, Derek Glynn; Danni Konig, Jason Malloy. But also in the seventieth minute Danny Brodrick replaced Rune Hansen, a minute later Vinny Faherty came on for Danni Konig and with ten minutes to go Cathal Fahty took the place of Ciaran Foley. The Referee was Padraigh Sutton of Clare and the attendance was 2,749.

Programme

Ticket: Courtesy Mark Ledgard