PRESTON: Nash, Mears, Davis, Alexander, Mawene,Ormerod (Whaley 10), O’Neil, McKenna, Stewart (Agyemang 45),Nugent, Dichio.
Subs Not Used: Ward, Sedgwick, Wilson.
LEEDS UTD: Sullivan, Kelly, Gregan, Kilgallon, Crainey, Richardson,Derry, Miller, Douglas, Lewis (Stone 88), Hulse (Cresswell 78).
Subs Not Used: Healy, Bakke, Blake.
Att: 20,383
Cards were shown left right and centre … at Leeds players, and the Whites made it to the finish line two players short. But let’s enjoy the moment.
Two goals in four minutes from Rob Hulse and Frazer Richardson settled their play-off semi-final and Leeds are heading for Cardiff, for what looks like a clash with Watford a week on Sunday.
United had two players sent off and six other players cautioned, but it was heartache for Stephen Crainey and Richard Cresswell who will both miss the final.
A power failure at half-time threatened to end the contest, but obviously someone found 50p for the meter.
Preston boss Billy Davies went for a line-up that included four strikers, while Kevin Blackwell … who made a bizarre interview prior to the game … looked content to contain.
Preston suffered a blow after nine minutes when striker Brett Ormerod was stretchered off after a challenge from Jonathan Douglas, with reports later suggesting he had a suspected broken leg.
As the whistle for half-time went, the ground was plunged into semi-darkness due to a power failure in the area around Deepdale. The floodlights eventually came back on and the second half kicked off 33 minutes later.
Leeds started the second period with more purpose and they broke the deadlock 10 minutes after the break. From Kelly’s corner, Hulse’s run was not tracked and he made no mistake to thump a header past Nash.
And Richardson put the tie beyond Preston’s reach with a second goal four minutes later.
From a spell of pressure down Leeds’ left, Liam Miller fed Hulse, who put the ball through a defender’s legs and picked out Richardson at the far post for the midfielder to sneak the ball past Nash despite the goalkeeper getting hands to it.
Crainey had been booked just before the hour for kicking the ball away and he saw red in the 68th minute for tripping David Nugent as the striker headed towards the box.
Cresswell was booked for a second time for kicking the ball away, but Leeds held on for six minutes of added time to book their place in Cardiff.
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