What I.Saw - "It's A Wonderful Feeling To Beat Leeds"
Wednesday, 28th Dec 2011 13:47 by I.Saw

Boxing Day. Beers from the Brewery Tap, a rare whisky rack the Christmas treat. Pride Park Concourse. Twenty minutes to kick off. There on the monitors, a flashback to November 1975.

Frannie Lee white shirt red number 9 on his back, Norman Hunter in yellow racing alongside, into the box and Frannie goes to ground, the referee falls for it and Derby score from the penalty to take a 2-1 lead.

Then the boxing match begins, first a right by Hunter bloodies Lee nose, shocked Lee fails to respond, the referee intervenes and waves them off like you would two naughty children. And as they head for the tunnel Lee gets his revenge swinging punch after punch at Hunter who backs off and off until he stumbles to the floor.

And although Duncan MacKenzie equalises for Leeds, up pops Roger Davies cutting in from the right to unleash a left footed pile driver into the back of the net to provide the justice of the day as the Rams win 3-2 in the dying minutes.

How could any match live up to that?

To be fair Leeds try.

From the opening seconds when a nasty spiteful kick by Michael Brown is missed by the referee to Robert Snodgrass whose antics such as fouling Gareth Roberts by pushing him into the patch of the ball and in the process winning a free kick for handball from the feckless assistant referee made us in the East Stand despair.

Whatever weakness the referee had Snodgrass provided the support, berating, cajoling and then but only then throwing his teddy away if he didn’t get his way. We in the stands booed his every antic, Snodgrass that is not the referee.

Others joined in, looking for advantage. Luciano Becchio flung himself here there and everywhere as if being pushed by a not so jolly green giant rather than Shaun Barker and our players were hardly innocent either.

Jamie Ward a constant thorn in Leeds right side had already squared to Nathan Tyson only for the ex-Forest striker to pass with precision to the hands of Andy Lonergan in the United goal, Ward had already beaten the keeper only to be denied by the post, before then trying the old falling down in the box trick.

To be fair a yellow shirt was closer the Horacio Carbonari’s outstretched leg was to Harry Kewell when his dive won the match in December 1999 but that wasn’t a penalty and neither was this. A brief mêlée nowhere near 1975 proportions and the game continued.

At the other end Snodgrass fouled Roberts pushing the defender to the floor before falling over aforesaid white shirt and hence winning a free kick. It beggared belief.

Luckily Frank Fielding tipped the resulting powerfully hit free kick over the bar for a corner.

Goalless at half time, the Rams were applauded off the field.

As the teams switched round so to did the referee. Within minutes of the restart Becchio received a yellow for an innocuous challenge on Shaun Barker when far more clear and dangerous tackles and elbows had been flying unpunished in the first forty five.

Brown soon followed into the book and with both teams relying heavily on long ball football the game became very scrappy.

Jamie Ward was still being given acres of room on the Leeds right where ex-Rams Paul Connolly had taken over from the concussed Tom Lees just before half time. Ward fed by Craig Bryson cut in and his first shot was parried by Lonergan only for the rebound to fall nicely back to Ward who took his chance well to give the Rams the lead.

As might be expected Leeds pressed. The addition of Ramon Nunez added the prospect of guile and skill but the Honduran was easily knocked off the ball as the Rams rearguard stood firm.

Two big calls awaited the referee. Theo Robinson chasing down yet another long ball got ahead of Patrick Kisnorbo, the Leeds defender resorted to a shove in the back and Robinson was brought down just outside the box.

Being perfectly level in the stands it should have been a foul and as last man arguably a red. The referee behind play gave nothing.

The other big call was in the Derby penalty area when Ross McCormack’s cross clearly hit the raised hand of Paul Green, a penalty in even our jaundiced eyes. Not so according to Burslam’s finest who gave the free kick in our favour. Understandably Peacock feathers were being spit behind the Derby goal.

All was left was Fielding to play out of his skin with a pair of fantastic saves and the Dirties left pointless yet again.

It’s a wonderful feeling to beat Leeds.

The grin lasts still.