Tuesday 29 July 2008
Pre-Season Friendly
Darlington 0
Leeds United 0
Kick Off: 7.45pm
at the Darlington Arena

Attendance: 3441 (visitors 1527)

A highly competitive affair ended scoreless, but both Darlington and Leeds United contributed to an entertaining 90 minutes that should provide home fans with a optimism ahead of the season.

Leeds fielded close to a first choice XI while Quakers selected a side that could face Exeter City in the season opener in ten days' time and, although they are light on strikers, they created plenty of chances as they put an end to their losing run versus the Whites.

The fixture has become an annual meeting since 2004 and Tuesday bnight's game at the Arena was the first time they have avoided defeat in five games.

And they did so with three trialists, midfielder Paul Evans starting while both ex-Sunderland left back Dan Smith and striker Paul Robinson came off the bench in the second half.

With three strikers still injured - Pawel Abbott, Gregg Blundell and the Aberdeen-bound Tommy Wright - Darlington started with a 4-5-1 formation and in the opening stages it did little to penetrate a strong Leeds side.

They featured many of the players that lost the League One play-off final last season and one of those, David Prutton, forced a shooting chance by dispossessing Jason Kennedy in midfield but the resulting 25-yard effort was easily gathered by Przemyslaw Kazimierczak.

Evans twice had shots at goal in the first half. His low drive from the edge of the area was comfortable for keeper Casper Ankergren, and a free-kick close to halftime curled well wide of goal as the ex-Bradford midfielder attempted to make a positive impression.

Two players already signed by Penney this summer combined to almost put Darlington ahead when left-back Clayton Fortune was off target with a header from closerange after meeting David Poole's inswinging corner.

From a set-piece at the other end Leeds would have took the lead were it not for a hugely impressive header off the line by Alan White.

The centre-back dived back towards his goal-line after Enoch Showumni headed towards goal.

After the break each team began to make the first of several substitutions and one of Leeds' subs, Bradley Johnson, fired a low, curling free-kick at Quakers' goal but it deflected narrowly wide off a relieved Steve Foster.

Kennedy was inches away from giving Quakers the lead with a thunderous right-footed drive from 25 yards and soon after Jermaine Beckford was only denied thanks to a smart Kazmierczak save after the striker got away from White.

The Darlington defender almost scored when Ankergren dropped a Griffin cross on the defender's close to goal head but the ball dropped on the roof of the net.

Robinson replaced Evans for the final 15 minutes and the striker saw a looping header tipped over the bar by Ankergren.

NORTHERN ECHO

Darlington:
Kazimierczak, Austin, White, Foster, Fortune (Smith 47mins), Poole, Ravenhill, Evans (Robinson 75), Griffin, Kennedy, Proudlock (Main 72).
Subs (not used): Liversedge, Hardman, Todd, Miller, Smith

Leeds United:
Ankergren, Richardson, Marques, Huntington, Sheehan, Prutton, Howson, Delph (Johnson 59), Robinson, Beckford, Showumni (Snodgrass 57).
Subs (not used): Lucas, Douglas, M'Chalik, Gardener, Parker.