Leeds hero Varney aims for revenge on Reading

LUKE Varney sank Bolton Wanderers with his second goal of the season and then set his sights on earning Leeds United boss Brian McDermott a win over the club who sacked him in March.
Luke Varney is mobbed after scoring the winning goal.Luke Varney is mobbed after scoring the winning goal.
Luke Varney is mobbed after scoring the winning goal.

Varney’s sixth-minute header took three points from the Reebok Stadium on Saturday, lifting United into the Championship’s play-off positions and giving McDermott the perfect build-up to an emotional return to Reading.

Leeds will clash with his former side at the Madejski Stadium on Wednesday night, the first time McDermott has been back to the ground since Reading unceremoniously ended his time as manager earlier this year.

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The Berkshire club won the Championship title and promotion to the Premier League under him but the 52-year-old’s dismissal paved the way for him to take charge of Leeds a month later. Varney settled Saturday’s match with a deft finish from Luke Murphy’s corner but he missed two further chances to kill the match and said: “The gaffer said to me that I’m owed another goal now. Hopefully I can get it for him against Reading.

“I’m probably not as prolific as other strikers but as long as I keep working hard and putting it in for the team, I’m going to get chances. We worked a lot on set-pieces on Friday and to see the ball go in was great. It was a fantastic delivery. To finish with three points was brilliant and it’s a buzzing dressing room.”

A delighted McDermott, who along with his players took the plaudits from a travelling support of 5,000, looked ahead of the clash with Reading saying: “Thirteen years I spent there and I haven’t been back since. I look forward to that.

“I haven’t thought too much about it and I really don’t know what reception I’ll get but I do know I did my best every day at Reading. They’ve been promoted to the Premier League twice, once under Steve Coppell and once under me. I’m proud of that. It was a good time for me.”

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Bolton climbed off the bottom of the Championship despite a 1-0 defeat and a brilliant save from Paddy Kenny denied them an equaliser in injury-time.

Varney said: “It just shows you what the Championship’s about. We lost last time (against QPR) to a set piece and we’ve won this time through a set-piece. It’s small margins and that’s what counts.”

“But that’s not the case and we have to let it digest now. We’ll have a few days’ break and come back recharged, ready to go.”

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