Leeds United 0 Blackpool 5: Rachubka hauled off in Leeds’s nightmare home loss

Fifteen days on from the almighty blunder that had gifted Coventry City a point in stoppage time, United’s second-choice goalkeeper again incurred the wrath of supporters by handing the points to former club Blackpool.

With Leeds already trailing to Lomano Lua Lua’s 12th-minute strike, Rachubka was guilty of committing the sort of error that would embarrass a schoolboy goalkeeper by failing to hold the most routine of catches as the ball looped into the area.

In the chaos that followed, Tom Lees tried to get his team-mate out of trouble but, in trying to prevent Ludovic Sylvestre tapping into the empty net, the young defender handled the ball to leave referee Roger East no choice but to award the penalty and send the young defender off.

Jonjo Shelvey then compounded Rachubka’s misery by beating him not once, but twice from the spot after East had ordered a re-take.

With Leeds two goals and a man down, the 22,423 crowd might have thought the night could not get any worse. They were wrong, and once again it was Rachubka badly at fault.

This time it was an inability to hold on to a scuffed shot by Lua Lua that presented the Seasiders with a chance they were not going to spurn, Shelvey again the beneficiary as he tapped into an empty net.

Now the boos really did ring out as the home fans vented their spleen at the goalkeeper, who lay motionless in the goalmouth with his head in his hands.

Simon Grayson’s response was to tell rookie youth team goalkeeper Alex Cairns to warm up, an act that drew huge cheers from the crowd.

The United manager left the change until half-time, when 18-year-old Cairns was brought on along with Luciano Becchio in an attempt to breathe fresh life into the game.

Initially, the move worked as Adam Clayton brought a fine save from Matt Gilks and Ross McCormack had a strong shout for a penalty turned down when his cross seemed to be hand-balled behind for a corner.

Jonny Howson also fired wide before McCormack inadvertently diverted a Kisnorbo header away from goal when it seemed easier to tap in.

After that, 10-man Leeds ran out of steam to allow Blackpool to again resume control.

First, Lua Lua latched on to an incisive through ball before unleashing a fierce and unstoppable shot past the stranded Cairns.

The Academy graduate, born in Doncaster, who only signed his first professional contract back in May, was then helpless when beaten for a second time after Shelvey completed his hat-trick with a neat finish.

There was still time for Cairns to deny Angel before East brought a merciful end to proceedings by blowing the final whistle.

As the remaining fans filed out into the night, Rachubka’s first- half blunders were inevitably the main talking point from a disappointing evening.

What should not be overlooked, however, is just how lacklustre Leeds had been before the fateful mistake by Rachubka that led to Shelvey making it 2-0 in the 26th minute.

Against a Blackpool side clearly determined to play a brand of football as bright as their tangerine shirts, the home side were left looking distinctly second-best.

Paddy Kisnorbo may have brought a good reflex save from Matt Gilks in the early stages but, otherwise, it was the Seasiders who looked much more impressive.

The personification of this control was the impressive Barry Ferguson, the former Scotland international who was pulling the game’s strings from central midfield to such an extent that United looked second-best for all but the opening 15 minutes of the second half.

The control that Blackpool had enjoyed even before Rachubka’s calamitous mistakes was evident in the move that led to Lua Lua putting the visitors ahead.

Paul Connolly may have been badly at fault with a sloppy attempted pass that landed at the feet of Sylvestre.

But, after that, incisive passing and quick movement off the ball saw Leeds carved open to allow Shelvey to fire goalwards.

Rachubka, only in the Leeds starting XI due to first-choice Andy Lonergan having dislocated a finger in last month’s win at Doncaster Rovers, did manage to block the effort but Lua Lua swooped to fire into an empty net.

Shelvey’s double then put the game beyond the home side by half-time, in the process bringing into question Rachubka’s future at Elland Road with Grayson’s priority before Sunday’s trip to Leicester City surely being the loan capture of a new goalkeeper.

Leeds United: Rachubka (Cairns 46); Connolly, Kisnorbo, Lees, White; Snodgrass, Clayton (Vayrynen 70), Howson, Pugh; McCormack, Keogh (Becchio 46). Unused substitutes: Cairns, O’Brien, Sam.

Blackpool: Gilks; Baptiste, Evatt, Cathcart, Crainey; Southern, Ferguson (Angel 72), Sylvestre, Shelvey, McManaman (Ince 76); Lua Lua (Bogdanovic 76). Unused substitutes:Eardley, Phillips.

Referee: R East (Wiltshire).