WE ALL LOVED LEEDS
Emirates FA Cup 3rd Round
West Ham 2 Leeds United 0
Balsawood’s Leeds’ team have had a slightly disappointing season after dazzling the Premier League in 2020-21, and their injury / Covid list continued the misery as it meant that they put out a weakened team for their third round tie at London Stadium. Their 9000 travelling fans may not all come next week for the Premier League fixture, but they were all here this afternoon and making themselves heard from the off.
Despite the noise and the additional police presence, West Ham take the lead on 34 minutes after a dribble by Vlásič and pile up of players that leads to a loose ball released from the scrum which Lanzini gleefully slots home from just in front of the six yard box.
The Leeds’ fans sing with more energy. It’s been one of those seasons for Bielsa and his northern stalwarts, but the faithful followers will not be put off. It’s a day out for the yellow and blue scarf wavers amongst this 60000+ attendance. We all loved Leeds once upon a time. This season we are feeling a bit sorry for them, if truth be told to power.
Leeds’ central defenders are busier in the second half than their West Ham counterparts, and chances for the Yorkshire terriers are few and far between. In the end, as they push up desperately for an equaliser, Hammers break with Antonio down the right, who picks out the advancing Bowen down the left, and he slots past Meslier as the Leeds’ keeper advances towards him.
The reward for this relatively straightforward victory is a fourth round tie at Kidderminster Harriers, fifth in the National League North, the Black Country junior cousins of Birmingham, Wolves and West Brom.
Banana skins are at the ready for this February sporting event.
13 Alphonse Areola, 31 Ben Johnson, 41 Declan Rice (c), 15 Craig Dawson, 23 Issa Diop, 24 Ryan Fredericks, 28 Tomas Souček, 10 Manuel Lanzini, 11 Nikola Vlašić, 9 Michail Antonio, 20 Jarrod Bowen
Substitutes: 8 Pablo Fornals, 23 Arthur Masuaku, 7 Andriy Yarmolenko
Goalscorers: Manuel Lanzini, Jarrod Bowen
