The Times, Sunday Times and Telegraph now seem to require registration to view articles on their sites, with the Times and Sunday Times charging readers outside the UK. The Times/Sunday Times has also moved some of the older articles into an archive which requires separate registration and requires you to pay to access the content. The Independent now charges for access to articles more than a week old. Front-line report - Guy ThorntonHaving returned from Munich, downloaded a not inconsiderable number of e-mails, oh yes, and attempted to scan through them I see a few folk in at least got to watch the game and some reports have been posted but nothing from them that was there so here's brief report from being there. Night train down to Munich Sunday night and at 06.30 Monday morning no inkling of any imminent football match, the only football signs of life to be seen being paraphernalia in a few of the station shops from some other Munich team but nothing from 1860 (or Unterhaching). Meet up with Stuart & family and it's off to a lake on the edge of Munich for serious (well not so serious) sun bathing and swimming, the kids insisting on draggin me into the water. And it was hot and the sun lethal as despite masses of sun cream I still got well and truly caught and on the edge of being burnt. Luckily we leave the lake just in time to head up to Dachau to take in the Volksfest (just one of the many Bavarian volksfests and smaller version of the Oktoberfest). Beer drunk, Pretzels and chicken eaten. Enough said. Tuesday and important things to be sorted out like seeing tickets have been safely brought to Munich, sorting last minute Benelux members problems and making arrangements with Look North. The kids taken to be left with Traudi's mum for a couple of days it's into town and meet with Tanya and Keith from Look North and find a suitable beer garden to film so hopefully you all saw the Benelux featured on Look North on Wednesday in the guise of Stuart & Traudi being intereviewed, Traudi talking as an 1860 fan (which she was - and still is a bit - as women used to be allowed in free) with shots of me shown raising a Mass and drinking. Hopes of getting to watch the team training dashed and resorts coming of trouble involving Leeds fans. We do bump into Tanya & Keith again later (and get to meet Peter Lorimer [when, having missed the introductions, I eventually realize who he is, he not looking at all like the lithe figure of memory]) and its seems the troubles luckily involved not turks but just the mornons already reported 'Sieg Heil'ing in the Hofbrauhaus. And they really where, and it was not any mistaken Leeds salute. When the police came along to warn them they started going 'Heil Hitler' and where promptly arrested and that was the end of their trip as they where detained till after the game. Ideally they should be detained permanently or at least never allowed into another Leeds game again. Wednesday and an early meeting to collect the tickets, letting people know we've got them and finalizing arrangements for meeting up, the mobile keeping going off as more members arrive. A growing number of Leeds shirts to be seen around town but still not overwhelming. Certainly a lot of 1860 shirts around but all very friendly. To the Seehaus biergarten and the Benelux contingent gathers, tickets given out, beers drunk and up to the Olympic Stadium. All very friendly mingling of fans and police and security fairly laid back as well. A good stadium, plenty of atmosphere and pretty full but stood (and we where generally allowed to stand and not made to sit) at one end behind the goal you realize how much better an overview you get of a game watching it on the telly. Hence not to long a report as there's fuller ones already posted but the first half is not so much end to end stuff but a few Leeds attacks some of which look promising and close as far as we can judge up at the other end which seems a long way away but a lot of 1860 pressing forward and looking dangerous but just when you get really worried Lucas is in there to tackle and clear the ball, Mills running his socks of, Nigel being clearly englands no 1 and just before half time the post coming to our rescue. A great performance from such a makeshift team but we are left concerned. The way 1860 are pressing can we hold out in the second half? The answer to that is within a minute of the restart when the 1860 defence gets itself in a tangle thanks to Viduka who puts the ball through to Smithy who right in front of me weaves and turns with it and as he squares to shoot you already know it's going in the net. (Who said in a posting I read earlier in the week "all we need is Smithy to score ..."?). I know it wasn't a header but, hey, who's complaining. 1860 dispirited but they do pull themselves together and throw everything at us for the last 20 minutes but again Nigel - and the rest - perform heroics. With only two goals needed to force extra time there's not much relaxing and we remain on edge all the way through the 4 minutes of injury time till the final whistle goes. Then celebrations and the Leeds team come over to salute us with Duberry coming behind the goal and really responding. The rest of the stadium pretty well empty (they had started leaving well before the finish as we chanted "You're not singing any more ...") as we partied on. Don't know what the TV coverage was like, if they showed many shots of us but if so then I sure knowing the prelediction producers have for who to focus on then we should have been in vision as we where around TimS and his harem of Lolita nymphetes, ideal television fodder! Friendly banter with 1860 supporters as we leave (responding to their "their's only one United - Manchester" with "there's only one Munich - Bayern") pack onto the S-bahn, get to our pre-arranged meeting place more beers and then bed and the train back yesterday. Armchairs, raw nails and good neighbours - JabbaFirst and foremost, many thanks are due to my Spurs-supporting neighbours. I've got cable, all the pubs have got digital satellite, but they've stuck with analogue satellite TV and can receive free broadcasts of games - which is obviously an affront to civilised society. Even so, they didn't have to search out the game and then come and knock on my door with 10 minutes to kick-off, when I'd finally resigned myself to spending the evening listening on RealAudio. As it was, the game had a very familiar shape for them: the team in yellow depleted by injury and defending desperately against a determined opposition! With injuries and suspensions decimating the squad, DOL fielded not his best eleven - he fielded just about the only eleven he could possibly pick (short of adding Bridges and Huckerby to the starters and playing 5-1-4). The out of position players did him proud, but Nigel Martyn once again deserves the Man of the Match award. Martyn made many good saves from almost the first minute of the game, but needed assistance from time to time. In the last minute of the first half, a Thomas Hassler free kick rattled the woodwork, Danny Mills and Michael Duberry cleared the ball off the line and Jon Woodgate headed another Hassler kick clear in the very last minute. In between times, Martyn needed treatment for a gash to the head, sustained after a German forward slid in very late and connected with the keeper's head. Munich desperately needed a goal, and for the first few minutes, it was very one-sided. Leeds started to take more of an attacking role, and Michael Duberry's foray into the area deserved an indirect free kick for obstruction - if not a penalty for being pulled back - but he still had the opportunity to do more with the ball than he did. Mark Viduka could have taken more time and rounded Hoffman rather than trying to chip him when set free by Smith's flick. The German commentary mentioned David Beckham as Ian Harte lined up a free kick towards the end of the half. The kick threatened the population of row Z, but not the goal, and that was the last we heard of Posh's bloke. Hassler's free kick in first half injury time was awarded harshly, but the balance of play to that point was in Munich's favour, and if the woodwork had favoured 1860 instead of Leeds, we couldn't have complained too much. Throughout the game, the five men at the back sometimes looked a little narrow, and Ian Harte was continually beaten on the overlap and the Germans's best efforts came through this channel. Up front, Alan Smith's confidence is clearly back and he was a thorn in the side of the German defence all night. Mark Viduka is gradually gaining his fitness, and used his skill and experience tonight to make life difficult for Munich. This all came together 35 seconds into the 2nd half as Viduka's robust challenge and flick at the ball while flat on his back saw the ball break free for Alan Smith. The ball hit the back of the net, Smith vaulted the advertising boards and the Leeds end went mad. Munich pressed again, and as the half wore on, Leeds pulled back more and more, while leaving Smith and Viduka alone on the halfway line to try to keep Munich aware that a quick break would really finish the tie. Matthew Jones hadn't had his best game - but after being out for some time with shin splints, it was a difficult game to return in. He was replaced by debutant Gareth Evans who didn't have time to do much, but the attacks into Leeds' left-back area did dry up a bit once Evans came on to provide extra support. Munich tried everything, but a great effort by a patched-up Leeds side was enough to see Leeds through to the league stages of the Champions League and a large pile of cash. And the final word of praise must go to the ref: this match should be shown to every UEFA referee as a great example of the Right Way to do it. Sure, we might have claimed a penalty, and a couple of hard challenges on both sides were borderline yellow cards - but the ref kept the game going, kept his cards in his pocket, and controlled the game brilliantly. Well done Mr. Larsen - you can ref our games every week. My view from the rev's favorite cosy chair - Martyn BrownWell I certainly haven't been so tense and nervous for a game since, er, Moscow or Roma last season... with a makeshift side and partial midfield, not to mention a jittery U-Direct feed (that kept stopping, pausing for 1/2 sec and then continuing - very frustrating). Leeds had little scraps of the game during the first half and a half-decent penalty appeal aside (when smith was brought down) there was little to feel confident about as the Germans pressed forward and swamped our 'midfield', but fortunately nothing really troubled Martyn, who was right on top of his game. Then, before half time, the Germans got a free kick and Hassler struck it superbly only to see it come off the post - a real let off. Second half and just a minute or two in and there's an almighty cock-up at their back, Viduka's strength allows him to poke a ball through to Smith, who holds off a defender and lashes the ball in from about 13yards. FANTASTIC! (At this point the poor cat jumps about 8yds in the air when I scream "Gerrrin!". Munich have now to score 2 to take it into extra time - as a result, the game opens up a little. More heroics from Martyn and 2 goal-line clearances (Mills and Woodgate) later and it's full time, they've held firm at the back and pulled off a fantastic achievement. Not very exciting, entertaining nor enjoyable to watch - but at least I can relax and enjoy my Stella now... Scores; I think it's tough to award a MOTM, the team as a whole won this, with the defence in particular (Harte aside) playing a stormer. Mills, Woody, Martyn and Radabe were very, very good. Ref: Disciplined yet intelligent display, fair to both sides. No bookings. A credit to the game. Roll on Friday's draw. Oh and we're still the only team with a 100% record in the premier and are 5th despite us playing just the one game! Mass bier, bitte - Munich Report - Matt GTuesday morning and back on my travels again - I guess it's a sign of progress that I now seem to spend more time at Stansted airport waiting to travel to games than I do waiting at Victoria for trains to Selhurst. Despite living quite close and getting to Stansted before 7am there were already loads of Leeds there- god knows what time those who'd travelled down from Yorkshire had got up. Smooth flight and we were in Munich within an hour and half, some negotiation at the airport got us a group ticket to cover all 16 of us for the 3 days and using Stuart's tips we were in the hotel by the station by lunchtime. Once we'd sorted ourselves we set out to explore our surroundings and soon settled down in a bar by the side of the street towards the Town Hall. After ordering one of the huge litre beers each we speculated on how many the barmaid would be actually able to carry in one trip, and the betting was around the 3 or 4 mark when she returned, to our astonishment with all 9 at once, to a round of applause from everyone around. Later tests proved none of us could carry more than about 6 empty glasses. Not too many Leeds around at this time and the atmosphere was very relaxed with plenty of street performers to entertain us, as via a couple more beer stops we found our way to the beer-garden by the Pagoda in the Englisher-Garten. Where we spend a pleasant summers evening in relaxed surroundings. As we wandered back into the city, a few people told us they'd been some English / Turks trouble around the station, not good news for us as our hotel was above a kebab place, but all was peaceful when we got back, though the bar opposite was a bit boisterous with the "No Surrender" brigade. Wednesday morning meant a trip out of town to Dachau, where plenty of Leeds fans and American tourists were off to look at the concentration camp. Didn't fancy it myself so a couple of us wandered into the town which was very nice and got something to eat. Judging by the sombre expressions of the others when they got back, it was a pretty grim experience. By the time we got back into Munich there were a lot more people around and the German police were not very subtly keeping a watch on the bar opposite the hotel. We decided to get out the way to somewhere peaceful to have a pre-match drink or two and so took the U-Bahn to somewhere north of the ground, but were a bit surprised to find ourselves in a big park with no pub insight. However we soon sniffed one out and walked in to find it full of 1860 fans, they looked at us a bit suspiciously to start with but a few minutes later after we'd bought them all a drink they were our new best friends. Though we weren't sure whether the one who looked like something out of the Village People gave us his address because he wanted a copy of the pictures we'd taken or whether he thought he'd made a new pen pal. As it got nearer to match time our new mates insisted on taking us with them to their favourite bar near the ground, so we found ourselves being plied with drink by hundreds of Munich fans in a tiny bar near the shopping centre, as we taught them a few new songs. We eventually made it to the ground with seconds to spare and were surprised to find we were to use the same turnstiles as the home fans. All the toilets and refreshments were similarly shared and though it's a bit daunting to walk into the bogs as the only Leeds fan amongst a bunch of Germans there was no hint of trouble - indeed one group of Leeds fans were sitting amongst the Munich lot and made a lot of noise but seemed to get no hassle at all. I was surprised to find the ground (which was bloody impressive as befits an Olympic stadium) nearly full, somehow I'd got the impression that 1860 didn't have many fans, but I guess the cheap ticket prices, seven quid each helped attract them. As to the game, we were right down near the front of the Leeds end so not in the best position to analyse the players performances. However, in the first half the perception was that we were defending too deep and were unlikely to hold out for 90 minutes and despite Viduka's miss rarely looked like scoring ourselves. The defence as a unit seemed to play well and Duberry had a decent game, I think he's more suited to a packed defence, backs to the wall type performance than when attackers have space to run at him. Mills also put in a couple of crunching tackles and although never really able to hold onto the ball for long the makeshift midfield managed to protect the defence well enough to prevent too many good chances. Matty Tones as he was known by the scoreboard did well even though clearly not fit. Second half starts, a huge clearance from Martyn, Viduka creates chaos and draws 2 defenders to him and the ball breaks to Smithy who takes his time and calm as anything slots it past the keeper and then jumps over the barriers towards the East Anglia branch sitting on the fences. The goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Germans and though Mills had to clear off the line we were pretty confident that we were through long before the end. The 1500 or so Leeds there, celebrated happily and for once abroad all the songs seemed to be pro-Leeds rather than the usual crap. End of the game and we waited to cheer the team off and gave another cheer as they reappeared to warm down. Duberry was first over after the game, was this his last appearance as chief cheerleader, Bowyer also came and chucked his shirt into the crowd, though we didn't need the meathead who pushed some kids out of the way to get there first. We walked back to the tube surrounded by 1860 fans who did nothing but wish us well and throughout the time we spend in Germany everyone we met was very friendly and helpful. Jumped off the tube in the University area and confused the locals who couldn't work out what a group of noisy happy English people were doing in the bar, but tolerated us nonetheless. Later as we walked back into the City Centre it was again peaceful though there were more Leeds outside the bars than the night before. The next day another easy journey back to the airport and onwards to Stansted (stupid Americans at the check-in notwithstanding), a smooth flight only about a quarter full of Leeds this time and another good trip had ended. Given the circumstances and lack of players a tremendous result. Leeds break open the Euro bank - Daniel TaylorCopy from Football Unlimited of
24/08/2000.
Leeds United will go into the Champions League draw tomorrow laughing all the way to the bank. Amid suffocating tension here in the Olympiastadion, David O'Leary's admirable young team emerged with an aggregate win, despite more than a few nerve-shredding moments, to become English football's third representatives in the continent's biggest arena. It was far from easy but the Yorkshire club were deserving victors, courtesy of Alan Smith's breakaway goal, some backs-to-the-wall defending and the heroics of their goalkeeper Nigel Martyn. In the end O'Leary's tank of superlatives was close to running empty. This result alone guarantees Leeds about £15m over the coming months, with the heady prospect of more to come should they continue to surpass all expectations, their manager's included. Smith swoops to put Leeds in elite company - Phil ShawCopy from The Independent of 23/08/2000.
The dream that has sustained Leeds United all summer, of joining the giants of Madrid, Milan and Manchester in tomorrow's draw for the Champions' League proper, was turned into a lucrative reality by Alan Smith's 46th-minute goal here last night. Smith, the 19-year-old Leeds-born striker, pounced to score his fourth goal of the season. It was no less than Leeds' depleted line-up deserved for a rearguard action which culminated in Jonathan Woodgate heading off the line from Thomas Hässler in the dying seconds. Leeds, already plagued by injury to the likes of Harry Kewell, Jason Wilcox and Stephen McPhail, had turned what appeared to be a routine passage to the first group phase into an uphill task by having Olivier Dacourt and Eirik Bakke sent off in the final 15 minutes at Elland Road when 2-0 up. The away goal which the nine men conceded to Paul Agostino in stoppage time ensured that 1860 arrived full of optimism as a scorching day at last began to cool. The presence among the media entourage of John Giles, Joe Jordan and Peter Lorimer, as well as that of Eddie Gray at David O'Leary's side, served as a reminder that Leeds also had a score to settle with the Bavarian capital. All were in the team beaten by Bayern in the European Cup final 25 years ago, although the Yorkshire club had prevailed in all their other five ties against German opposition. 1860, by contrast, had lost on each of the three occasions when paired with English clubs, most famously to West Ham in the Cup-Winners' Cup final of 1965. Managers tend to play down historical omens, but how O'Leary must have hoped beforehand that one of his forwards might emulate the late Alan Sealey's two goals on that heady night at Wembley. Of the three strikers Leeds had fielded in their opening fixtures, Michael Bridges was left on the bench to accommodate Danny Mills. Matthew Jones and Michael Duberry also came in, for Dacourt and Bakke, while Erik Mykland had recovered from illness to take his place in 1860's midfield. O'Leary rather surprisingly switched his captain, Lucas Radebe, from the back to anchor midfield. His first act was to bring down Daniel Borimirov as Leeds came under all the pressure, during which Daniel Bierofka volleyed wide and Agostino's header forced Nigel Martyn into a diving save. Yet the eagerness with which Leeds turned deep defence into counter-attack underlined the priority O'Leary placed on an away goal. Gary Kelly might have snatched one with a shot that was deflected over; Michael Hofmann had to dash out to parry as Mark Viduka burst clear; and Smith appealed in vain for a penalty after falling under Martin Stranzl's challenge. As in the first leg, Leeds had difficulty curbing Hässler, who was a magnet for any loose ball. As well as directing attacks from the centre, he materialised on both flanks and his pass from the left found Agostino, who brought another desperate stop from Martyn in the 38th minute. Duberry's foul on Hässler in the last seconds of the first half gave the diminutive 34-year-old an opportunity to demonstrate his ability at set-pieces. A curling free-kick, from the angle of the 18-yard area, beat Martyn's dive only to smack against the top of the far post. Having lived so dangerously, Leeds broke out to seize the initiative only 26 seconds after half-time. Viduka, grounded after an aerial tussle with Marco Kurz, prodded the ball inside to Smith, who struck with his left foot from near the penalty spot. 1860 have been in the wilderness too long – they spent a decade in amateur football before beginning the haul back to the Bundesliga in the early 1990s – to go quietly. Almost immediately, Martyn had to block an acrobatic effort by Borimirov. When Leeds were unable to clear their lines, the ball broke to Agostino, whose shot beat the goalkeeper but was hacked off the line by Mills. The home coach, Werner Lorant, promptly sacrificed a defender, Stephan Passlack, in favour of a third striker, Bernhard Winkler. O'Leary, meanwhile, sought to counter the right-wing raids of Harald Cerny by moving Mills, who was having arguably his best game for Leeds, to left-back. But the danger came from the opposite flank, too, a low drive by Agostino being gathered only at the second attempt by Martyn as blue shirts converged. It was the prelude to a further flurry of 1860 attacks, and it was a measure of the "skeleton staff" available to Leeds that the tiring Jones was replaced by Gareth Evans, 19, who had never previously appeared in the first team. The report used to be available online here. Smith's rich pickings - Matthew DunnCopy from SportLive of 23/08/2000.
SportLive is no longer operational. Should it return to the web, this report will be removed and the link restored. Reformed thug Alan Smith fired Leeds into the £10million Champions League with a match-winning performance. The England Under-21 striker maintained his record of scoring in every game this season to confirm he is back to the brilliant best he showed on his debut nearly two years ago. Manager David O'Leary lectured him in the summer about the aggressiveness which threatened to mar his precocious talent. The 19-year-old has responded by scoring in each of the three games so far this season. The game was on a knife edge in the first half, but Smith's vital away goal within 40 seconds of the restart calmed the nerves of the young Leeds side, who were able to hang on to their most impressive result since O'Leary took over. They beat some stiff opposition during their thrilling passage to the UEFA Cup semi-finals last season. But the Premiership side, boasting a rare tally of nine players born in Britain and Ireland, capped all that by flying the flag against the Germans. While the tired Leeds players basked in the applause of their fans, the loudest shout was for a manager who no longer has the temerity to call himself "young" and "naive". Chairman Peter Ridsdale hopes the new six-year contract O'Leary signed last week will keep him at Elland Road to add silverware to the potential shown so far. O'Leary insists the impressive collection of medals he won with Arsenal as a player means nothing now, but it must irk that they don't include European honours. But whatever he says to his players before these European nights, he clearly makes his young charges believe they have what it takes to rectify that omission, whatever the odds. In only his second game in charge, Leeds came within the width of a post of upsetting Roma in their impressive Olympic Stadium, and it was clear from the start here that Munich's equivalent venue would hold no fears for his players. Paul Agostino's late away goal in the controversial first leg, which saw three sent off, made the psychology almost as impossible as the mathematics. Do you go looking for an away goal of your own or sit back and try to hold on to your slender lead? To their credit, the Yorkshire side tried to do both, despite the shallowness of their resources. Injury had robbed O'Leary of Harry Kewell, David Batty, Stephen McPhail and Jason Wilcox, while Cypriot referee Costas Kapitanis deprived him of Olivier Dacourt and Eirik Bakke, suspended following their red cards a fortnight ago. It meant Lee Bowyer was joined in midfield by full-back Gary Kelly, centre-back Lucas Radebe and 19-year-old Matthew Jones, who had not played for two months following a hernia operation. Not surprisingly, the Germans ruled midfield. Norwegian golden boy Erik Mykland showed no signs of the flu coach Werner Lorant claimed would keep him out as he buzzed around dictating play. While he provided the energy, veteran Thomas Hassler added the guile as Leeds were forced on to the back foot. But for all their territorial disadvantage, Leeds looked more dangerous going forward and had two early penalty claims turned down. Michael Duberry was bundled over by Stephan Passlack in the 12th minute, TSV skipper Marco Kurz appeared to catch Smith as he ran through on goal. While O'Leary jumped up and down, berating the fourth official, Kurz allowed an underhit back pass to go past him and Mark Viduka pounced only to be denied by Michael Hofmann's great save. At the other end, Nigel Martyn did even better to prevent Agostino's close-range shot giving the home side the advantage, his defence scrambling the ball away. But he was just a spectator when Hassler bent a free-kick on to his right-hand upright with the last kick of the half. Leeds could not have made better use of their escape when, in the first minute after the restart, Viduka beat Marco Kurz and Martin Stranzl to win a long, hopeful ball and Smith was there to take full advantage by slipping the ball past Hofmann from 12 yards. But the game was far from over. Minutes later Danny Mills cleared Agostino's shot off the line and Martyn pulled off a string of saves as Munich tried desperately to rescue a game which was rapidly escaping from their grasp. The report used to be available online here. Smith delivers a passport to riches - Henry WinterCopy from Electronic Telegraph of
24/08/2000.
DEFENSIVELY dogged and clinical when it mattered most in front of goal, Leeds United marched with thrilling conviction into the group stage of the Champions League last night. All of David O'Leary's players performed magnificently but the individual honours went to Alan Smith, who scored such a fine, tension-releasing goal, and Nigel Martyn, whose goal- keeping was of the Olympian class so associated with this stadium. Smith's goal arrived shortly after half-time, leaving Munich needing two to force extra time, a possibility that the agile Martyn ensured would never become reality with some great saves. Such was Martyn's determination to keep out the Germans that he even took a stud in the head. Patched up, he carried on, so assisting Leeds into the promised land of the Champions League proper. Leeds were desperate to reach the all-singing, tills-ringing group stage of the competition, a section that offered a chance of meeting one of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Lazio, Bayern Munich, Spartak Moscow, Monaco or Juventus. O'Leary and his players knew the reward on offer and heard that, if they succeeded, they would avoid Galatasaray, Manchester United and Arsenal in tomorrow's draw. Smith's sweetly-taken goal moments into the second half, a strike that was greeted with roars of delight from the 1,000-odd visiting supporters, gave Leeds such hope because the Yorkshire club knew all they had had to do was extend or preserve their slender advantage from the first leg at Elland Road. Stunned so early in the second period, the Germans threatened throughout the first half, constantly finding space down their right through Harald Cerny and even striking an upright with the last kick of the half, a swirling free-kick from Thomas Hassler. But Leeds stood firm, reaching half-time with their ambitions intact. Although Leeds had their attacking moments, touches of class that gave a hint of what was to come so spectacularly in the 46th minute, the players who caught the eye in the first half were the central members of the three defensive tiers charged with thwarting 1860's surges. Lucas Radebe, the midfield anchor, kept sticking out a long leg to nick the ball, Jonathan Woodgate was similarly strong in the tackle while Martyn showed excellent reflexes when the men from Munich broke through the penultimate barrier. Leeds' goalkeeper saved well from Paul Agostino after eight minutes, clutching the striker's header with an assurance that would have soothed any racing pulses around him. When Hassler and Cerny combined to set up Daniel Borimov, Martyn was again equal to the challenge. As the half drew to a close, Martyn pulled off a wonderful save, denying Agostino from close range then managing to bring his feet out to clear the ball. After Michael Duberry fouled Agostino, England's No 2 could do nothing with Hassler's right-foot free-kick and was relieved to see the ball cannon clear off a post. Until the Germans' late flurry, Leeds enjoyed the better of the first-half chances. Mark Viduka, who held the ball up well throughout, just failed to connect properly with a cross from Ian Harte. Duberry and Smith both fell under challenges in the box but, correctly, no penalties were awarded. Leeds gave notice of their growing threat when Viduka darted through but his attempt to put the ball over Michael Hoffman was read by the 1860 goalkeeper. Viduka then managed to sky his shot after a mistake by Bierofka. No matter. Leeds had survived the opening half and, suitably emboldened, sought to take the lead. In the wake of an aerial contest between Viduka, Stephan Passlack and Marco Kurz on the edge of the area, the ball fell for Smith, who held off Kurz to slide a low left-footed shot past Hofmann. The adage that teams are never more vulnerable than when they have just scored was almost witnessed here. Within two minutes 1860 were raiding forward and Leeds defended athletically to prevent an equaliser. First Martyn pushed away Agostino's overhead kick and then Danny Mills, brilliantly, cleared off the line from Borimov. As the game passed the hour mark, Martyn again responded well to the Munich menace, clutching Borimov's shot at the second attempt. The report used to be available online here.
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