LEEDS UTD: Sullivan, Kelly, Butler, Gregan (Bakke 84), Kilgallon,Richardson (Blake 45), Miller (Healy 62), Derry, Douglas,Lewis, Hulse.
Subs Not Used: Bennett, Stone.
WATFORD: Foster, Doyley, Mackay, DeMerit, Stewart,Chambers (Bangura 72), Mahon, Spring, Young, King, Henderson.
Subs Not Used: Chamberlain, Eagles, Bouazza, Mariappa.
Att: 64,736
The Millennium Stadium was a Leeds nightmare, as goals from Jay DeMerit, a Neil Sullivan own goal and Darius Henderson put paid to a shocking Whites performance.
To say the true Leeds didn’t turn up, was one point ready to be made, but the fact … we weren’t good enough … was more like it!
Watford were third favourites for relegation at the start of the season, yet they took Kevin Blackwell’s boys apart in Cardiff, and I’m sure there will be more questions than answers.
Adrian Boothroyd was a man who looked full of confidence from the moment he walked out at the massive Welsh stadium. And what he actually meant when he said: ‘I know more about Leeds than they know about me’, is anyone’s guess … but I guess he was right.
This match was billed as the match for Leeds in five years, but it will take a lot longer than that to get over the embarrassment of it!
American defender DeMerit’s far post header gave Watford a 25th-minute lead.
Chambers enjoyed a lucky deflection off Eddie Lewis before the ball hit the post and went in off Sullivan to increase their lead in the 55th minute.
Then Henderson rounded off his side’s stunning season with an 83rd-minute penalty.
But not even the most loyal Leeds fan can deny them their moment of glory, because we were never in the hunt.
As Watford placed EVERY dead-ball kick to the far post of Sullivan’s goal, Blackwell’s defenders continued to ignore the warning signs and went man-for-man. OK if you can hold your ground … a disaster if you let your man go ‘walk about’. And that is what they did time and time again.
Slick and well-drilled, Boothroyd’s players held a solid formation throughout. Watford scored and Leeds went to pieces, lost all shape, had no imagination in the middle of the park, and defender like schoolboys.
Leeds clearly held the advantage in terms of their support, but their players froze, rather than rise to it. Liam Miller walked out and almost shit his pants when a firework went off, and that summed up everything.
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