Leeds United 1 Birmingham City 1: Pearce is aiming for extended run to help lift United

WHEN a footballer takes a good 30 seconds to ponder the question about his biggest personal  FA Cup memory then it is perhaps no wonder that he is desperate for a long overdue run in this year’s competition.

Jason Pearce, stand-in captain as Leeds United came from behind to force a replay against Birmingham City, admits the wide range of emotions often stirred by the world’s oldest knockout trophy have largely passed him by.

There was his winning goal for League Two Bournemouth in 2008 that accounted for Bristol Rovers, but even then the second round brought an upset for the Cherries against non-League Blyth Spartans.

At 25 years old, therefore, Pearce is understandably ready to redress that lack of FA Cup success with Leeds this term.

“This competition hasn’t been too good to me, to be fair,” said the United defender when asked by the Yorkshire Post about his personal highlight in the Cup.

“I can’t even think of my best run in it. At Bournemouth, I scored the winner against Bristol Rovers one year.

“But apart from that, there hasn’t been too much to write home about. That is why it would be good to do well this season, just as we did in the Capital One Cup.

“That run to the quarter-finals as we beat Everton and Southampton brought the lads together and it helped us in the league. We want to do the same again.

“Personally, I love the FA Cup. As a neutral, you always want the underdogs to win and then when you play against the underdogs for a team like Leeds you have to really up your game because it is their cup final.

“That is why I love the Cup. As a player you definitely want a run and we will go to Birmingham for the replay determined to do that.”

If Leeds are to progress to the fourth round for what will be only the second time in 10 years, their performance will have to be more on a par with the second-half efforts against Lee Clark’s Blues than the opening 45 minutes.

United may have struck a post through Pearce’s header during that first half but it was Birmingham who looked the much livelier outfit in attack.

The pace of Nathan Redmond and Ravel Morrison up front played a big part in that bright start for the visitors, while a midfield containing Chris Burke and Wade Elliott out wide was always going to prove a threat.

So it proved with Elliott opening the scoring with a stunning strike on 32 minutes that bore more than a passing similarity to his winner in the 2009 Championship play-off final for Burnley against Sheffield United.

Collecting the ball on halfway, Elliott took advantage of no Leeds player being in his immediate  vicinity to run unchallenged before unleashing an unstoppable 25-yard shot that arrowed into the corner of the net.