Worthington Cup Round 4: Wednesday 15 December 1999 Leicester City 0 - 0 Leeds United (Half-time: 0 - 0) AET: 4-2 on penalties Crowd: 16125 Referee: G Barber (Pyrford)
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Leicester report - Matt G

With no Smith (presumably injured) or Huckerby (terminally useless), we started with our full-strength European team, with Kewell and Bowyer looking to get forward to support Bridges. For the first 20 minutes we looked hungry and nearly scored on a couple of occasions. Unfortunately Batty soon limped off and though Leicester lost Lennon around the same time, the tide turned in their favour. Matthew Jones initially came on in Batty's holding role but by the 2nd half had been switched with Bakke and moved to wide right. For most of the game the crowd were as subdued as the team, only being stirred into life by a few dubious decisions from the ref. Bookings for Radebe, after Heskey had initially fouled him and for Bowyer who clearly won the ball were particularly galling. Leicester had the best of the 2nd half and probably deserved to win in normal time, but the key moment probably came with 10 minutes left when just before the sending-off, the Leeds fans started singing "we're gonna win all 4", which immediately doomed us to failure. After Lucas was sent off, Bridges was sacrificed leaving Harry up-front on his own, at the time I thought it would have made more sense to sub McPhail and put Kewell back in midfield but as it happened Kewell done well on his own.

The sending-off sparked plenty of action on and off the pitch, a few fans ran to the front of the stand to spent the rest of the match shouting abuse at Barber, Heskey and the particularly annoying Savage. For the first time the fans got particularly noisy, WATCOE rolling along for most of extra-time. The last minute of normal time led to the usual "time to go" chant being changed to "time to score", for once this didn't happen and Eddie Gray got the chance to come on at the change over and had to be dragged away from the ref by DOL.

After Matthew Jones had headed off the line in the last minute, thus delaying us getting home by about an hour, in extra-time we were largely defending deep hoping for Kewell to produce something on the break. He nearly did twice, on one occasion beating all 3 centre-backs but screwing his shot wide, while the unmarked Bowyer who'd run 80 yards to get up with him, collapsed in frustration on the far-side. So to penalties, we could only really think of Harte and McPhail who we had any confidence in, but Woody put his one away in style. Unfortunately Kelly and Bowyer just twatted theirs as hard as possible and both hit the bar and on this occasion Martyn wasn't able to save us.

Before the game, we'd said that we wouldn't be too bothered too lose, but the performance from the team during extra-time showed they really wanted to win and as the crowd sang "We're proud of you"

Scores
Martyn 7 - Although everyone else knew Elliots pen was going straight down the middle.
Kelly / Harte 7s
Radebe 7 - Unlucky to get sent-off, but Heskey had given him a lot of trouble all game and there was a certain inevitability about it.
Woodgate 9 - Had Cottee in his pocket and did well with Heskey, after Lucas had gone, penalty was cool as f***.
Duberry 7 - Defended solidly but his conducting of the Graham Rix chants at h-t was a bit desperate.
Bakke 8 - Beginning to look like a great signing, can dribble past players, tackles well and can pass.
Bowyer 7 - Looks not fit or exhausted but still making forward runs into extra-time.
McPhail 6 - Better than some listers give him credit for and is covering more of the pitch than previously but needs Batty next to him.
Jones 6 - Nothing outstanding but tidy and didn't let us down.
Bridges 7 - Was having a decent game til surprisingly subbed
Kewell 8.5 - For a supposed prima-donna works incredibly hard and was even more of a threat when left up-front on his own. Scared them everytime he got the ball, but still too greedy given he can't shoot straight.

Heskey - Ok he cheated but he was a constant threat, has the strength and pace too worry Lucas all game and not many do that. Not yet the finished article but would add a different dimension to our squad, so it's a shame he's Liverpool bound.

Izzet sends Leicester through - John Brodkin

Copy from Football Unlimited of 16/12/1999.

Martin O'Neill's Leicester earned a quarter-final at home to Fulham after overcoming the league leaders in a penalty shoot-out following a grim goalless 120 minutes.

Muzzy Izzet put away the decisive penalty after Gary Kelly and Lee Bowyer had missed with successive spot-kicks for Leeds.

Leicester had largely dominated the second half of normal time without looking likely to breach a Leeds defence typically well marshalled by their captain Lucas Radebe. And when, in the 88th minute, Matthew Elliott headed a Stefan Oakes free-kick goalwards, Matthew Jones cleared off the line. There was further late drama, with Radebe being sent off in the 90th minute after his second bookable offence.

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