Dag & Red – Leeds 1:2

(47’ Baidoo – 3’ Kilkenny, 49’ Elkins)

In their debut in League One in front of a full Victoria Road stadium the Daggers lost against Leeds, but after the match managers of both sides agreed a draw would have been a fairer result.

“We had our chances and I am happy about that. What worries me is that too many of our shots went wide” – Onoszko said.

Collins praised the young manager and his team. “Dag & Red played well today and I believe they should be able to avoid relegation this season. I’m sure there are many teams they can beat at this level” – he said.

The Leeds manager set his team up for offensive play from the very start of the game and the tactics brought fruit shortly after the first whistle. A pass into the box by right-back Frazer Richardson was picked up by Beckford, who instantly turned and crossed the ball low. Left-back was Darren Kenton was close to slotting the ball into the net, yet a challenge by Burt saved the Daggers. Not for too long, however, as the ball bounced off to Neil Kilkenny, running at full speed from the midfield, who fired a low ball that spun past Bezovan without giving him a chance to react.

The goal paralysed the home team for some time, but they eventually reacted in the 19^th minute with a neat pass from Howell to Strevens, whose diving header put the ball ridiculously wide of the Leeds goal, but still earned applause from the local fans.

Shortly afterwards Leeds came close to teaching Dag & Red a quick lesson of football in League One. Jonathan Douglas headed the ball onto the foot of Beckford, but his shot from 12 yards was superbly caught by Bezovan. The save was top class and created another proof that Onoszko will face a huge dilemma once Doherty returns from injury.

Dag & Red knew they had to score if they wanted to pull out at least a point from the game and in the 23^rd minute Parinello’s cross from the left met the head of Strevens, but the ball went just wide.

The most controversial decision of the match came in the 37^th minute. A pass into the box from Burt found Strevens, who was brought down in the penalty box by Richardson, but the referee did not react.

In the 40^th minute Dag & Red had a free kick struck into the wall by Baidoo. The ball took a deflection towards Butcher, who instead of firing straight at the goal noticed a much better positioned Albertsson. The Swede turned and from close range sent a strong low shot that went past the Leeds keeper Casper Ankergren. Unfortunately for the Daggers’ fans, only to hit the post. At half-time the score was still 0:1.

The Daggers got on the pitch for the second half highly motivated and the crowd of over 6,000 supporters did not have to wait too long for results. In the 47^th minute Strevens ran with the ball and a defender on his back for over 40 yards and managed a precise pass into the box to Howell. The midfielder flicked the ball to Baidoo, who had little problem with hitting the ball into the net with his left foot, making the local fans go crazy.

The cheering has hardly started to wane, when the score changed to 1:2. A great cross from the right by Andy Hughes was met by the head of Rob Elvins who climbed above Goodwin and put Leeds in the lead again. This is how you do it in League One, you could say.

Dag & Red responded with a volley from Strevens that went way over the bar, but it was Leeds that took control of the game in the following minutes, during which Elvins, Beckford and Filipe De Costa sent shots wide.

Onoszko tried to turn things around in the middle of the field in the 62^nd minute with May coming on for Butcher and Graham for the rather bleak Carruthers, but it still was Leeds that attacked. In the 66^th minute Beckford’s half-volley was saved by Brezovan.

The Leeds defence and midfield worked hard to limit the number of chances for the Daggers to zero and they were nearly 100 percent successful except for one last attempt by Strevens in the 76^th minute that again went wide. Dag & Red could not afford more and three points went to Leeds.

The Daggers’ next game was away at Bristol Rovers, who lost their first match of the season 0:2 against Southend. The Rovers squad lacks stars, but forward David Morley could pose some threat to Dag & Red’s defence.

Onoszko made two changes to his starting line-up. Commiges replaced Goodwin as right-back, while Graham was manned instead of former Rover Carruthers on the left wing. McMahon, Scragg, May, Carruthers and Dickinson sat on the bench.