Leeds United 3 Ipswich Town 1: McCarthy gives a helping hand to Grayson

Not only were the home supporters in open revolt at what they consider to be a lack of ambition and investment on the part of chairman Ken Bates following Jonny Howson’s sale to Norwich City, but as the game entered its final quarter Simon Grayson’s side were labouring horribly on the pitch.

A goal down after Andy Drury had capitalised on a mistake by Andy Lonergan during a one-sided first half, Leeds had put in such an uninspiring shift that Alex McCarthy was still waiting to make his first save in the Ipswich Town goal.

In the stands, the discontent that had been evident an hour or so before kick-off when a few hundred fans had chanted ‘Bates out!’ and ‘We’re Leeds United, we’ve all had enough’ next to the Billy Bremner statue had grown to such an extent that the atmosphere inside Elland Road bordered on mutiny.

Then, however, a truly bizarre turn of events saw the afternoon turn the way of the Yorkshire club in dramatic fashion.

First, McCarthy, often the hero for Leeds when on loan from Reading before Christmas, did his old club one last favour by rashly racing out of his penalty area and then catching Ibrahima Sonko’s back header.

Referee Geoff Eltringham had no option but to dismiss the Ipswich goalkeeper, meaning for the third game running Grayson’s side suddenly found themselves up against 10 men.

It was an advantage they gratefully seized upon as three goals without reply in the final 15 minutes from Robert Snodgrass, Ross McCormack and Luciano Becchio nudged Grayson’s side to within a point of sixth-placed Birmingham City, the next visitors to Elland Road on January 31.

The Leeds manager said: “At half-time we knew we hadn’t played well but, at the end of the day, it is all about winning football matches.

“Whether you play well or not, it is winning what matters. That is not to say it papers over the cracks.

“We know what we need to do on the training ground and in the transfer market. But it was a vital win as it keeps us up near the play-off positions.

“The red card was bizarre as until then we were huffing and puffing but not able to work Alex.

“But then the mix-up happened and from then on they panicked as a defence. We knew they would be vulnerable because they had conceded so many goals.”

Grayson’s keenness to accentuate the positives is understandable. But perhaps the most pertinent part of his post-match assessment is that the late flurry of goals should not be allowed to “paper over the cracks”.

Certainly, Leeds will play a lot better than they did against Jewell’s men this season and be on the end of a comprehensive defeat.

Lacking ideas, motivation and, above all, on-field leadership, the hosts were distinctly second best to an Ipswich side who must have spent the entire return trip to Suffolk on Saturday evening wondering just how they had lost.

Employing five men in midfield, they made a mockery of the pre-match belief among home fans that the return of Fabian Delph to complement the undoubted talent of Snodgrass, Adam Clayton and Andros Townsend would see a return to the football that helped Leeds make such a strong impression on their return to the Championship last term.

Instead, the 22,844 crowd who braved the Yorkshire cold were treated to nothing of the sort against a team struggling at the wrong end of the Championship.

Townsend did spurn one inviting chance during the first-half when he was unable to connect when attempting a difficult half-volley in the 12th minute.

That apart, however, Leeds offered little in the way of cohesive attacking play with Ipswich instead looking by far the most likely to score before McCarthy’s rush of blood. First, Daryl Murphy came close to breaking the deadlock with a firm header to meet a Drury corner that Darren O’Dea did well to block.

Then, after United’s defence had been opened up by a sublime pass from Jason Scotland, Lee Martin was denied by a brave block from Lonergan just after the half-hour.

Unfortunately for the Leeds goalkeeper, within three minutes he went from hero to zero after allowing a weak shot from Drury to roll under his body and into the net.

United’s afternoon almost got even worse on the stroke of half-time when Jay Emanuel-Thomas unleashed a ferocious drive that clipped the outside of the post with Lonergan well beaten.

Ipswich continued to dictate play after the restart until McCarthy’s red card finally woke Grayson’s men from their slumber.

Even then, though, Leeds needed a further helping hand from the Tractor Boys to claim the points with all three of their goals coming via mistakes.

Snodgrass, for instance, could not believe his luck when Sonko passed the ball straight to the Scot just five yards from goal with 15 minutes remaining.

It was a chance the Scot was not going to miss.

Nor was McCormack seven minutes later following a mix-up between Sonko and McCarthy’s replacement in goal, Arran Lee-Barrett.

The game was up by now for Ipswich but there was still time for one last mistake as Tommy Smith allowed himself to be muscled off the ball by Becchio, who then finished from a tight angle to at least send the United fans home happy.