21-07-09: Grimsby Town (a) 1-1 (HT 0-1) Crowd (3,416)

Programme:

Next on the pre-season agenda was a trip to Blundell Park, Cleethorpes on 21st July 2009 to play Grimsby Town. Simon Grayson took the oppurtunity to use the game as a trial for Troyes defender Mathieu Baudry, as he fielded a strong side, but lacked some vital ingredients as the game clashed with a friendly at Wealdstone, which had been arranged as part of the deal which brought Jermaine Beckford to Elland Road, and had to feature Jermaine Beckford and several senior United players and a sprinkling of Juniors. So United lined up for the clash with the Mariners as: Casper Ankergren; Andy Hughes, Lubomir Michalik, Mathieu Baudry, Ben Parker; Robert Snodgrass, Fabian Delph, Jonathan Howson, Andy Robinson; Luciano Becchio. Mike Grella. The substitutes were Alan Martin, Rui Marques, Tom Lees, Tom Elliott and Aidan White. Peter sweeney had a quick reunion with his former team-mates when he faced them just a couple of weeks after leaving Elland Road. Simon Grayson had decided to watch the game in preference to going to Wealdstone and he would have been dismayed to see Casper Ankergren picking the ball out of the back of his net after only five minutes. Danny Boshell sent over a cross from the left, which Lubomir Michalik failed to clear and Jean Louis Akpa Akpro scored from close range to give the home team an early lead. Moments later Jonathan Howson tested the Grimsby Keeper, Nick Colgan, with a header from a Robert Snodgrass free-kick which he took at full stretch. But the home side were making telling breaks as first Akpa Akpro was narrowly wide in the twelfth minute and moments later Nick Hegarty shot over as the home side mounted more pressure. it was noticable that United were finding it far more difficult to get on top of the opposition than in any other previous pre-season friendlies, and Peter Sweeney reminded United of his capabilities, when he hit the underside of the bar from a free-kick in the twentieth minute. This was emphasised even more when after half an hour Barry Conlon did the almost impossible by heading over a golden opputunity from close range. In the closing stages of the first half Robert Snodgrass and Mike Grella combined to give Andy Robinson an oppurtunity to force home keeper Nick Colgan into a fine save. Simon Grayson replaced Lubomir Michalik with Rui Marques at the start of the second half, while grimsby brought on goalkeeper Leigh Overton for Nick Colgan and United went straight on the attack as Robert Snodgrass went close. The home team were quick to reply and a swift break saw Nick Hegarty go very close to doubling their lead. In the fiftieth minute Leeds got back on level terms as good pressure from Mike Grella forced a hurried clearance from Grimsby's replacement keeper, Leigh Overton, and Luciano Becchio was quickly on to it to score with a clinical finish. This gave United added imputus and Andy Hughes went close with a free kick, before Andy Robinson just wide of the upright as he cut in from the left flank. It was now an improved United side and both Andy Robinson and Robert Snodgrass went close as the hour mark approached. Mike Grella forced the Grimsby keeper to a good save low down and moments later Andy Robinson curled a free-kick just wide. On the seventy minute mark Andy Robinson saw his free-kick only partially cleared and Jonathan Howson's follow up shot was blocked. Alan Martin came on for Casper Ankergren after seventy-one minutes and Aidan White replaced Mike Grella a minute later, while in the seventy-third minute the home side made four changes, as Nathan Jarman replaced Peter Sweeney, Michael Leary came on for Adrian Forbes, Nathan Arnold for Nick Hegarty and Adam Proudlock for Barry Conlan. French trialist Mathieu Baudry was replaced by Tom Lees after seventy-nine minutes and was given a good reception by the Leeds fans as he left the field with his head swathed in bandages and bloodied from a head wound. Alan Martin had no time to settle in as he could only watch as Akpa Akpro was only just wide of the mark. Tom Elliott came on for Robert Snodgrass after eighty-two minutes, but it was Luciano Becchio who provided a rousing finish to the match as he skilfully created an opening on the edge of the penalty box before rattling the underside of the bar with a powerful strike which bounced to safety as the game finished as a 1-1 draw. Chris Jones came on in the final minute in place of Jean Louis Akpa Akpro, leaving midfielder Peter Bore, defenders Matt Heywood and Paul Linwood and forward Danny North unused on the bench. Carl Boyeson of Hull was the Referee and 714 of the crowd of 3,416 were from Leeds.