Leeds United 3 Portsmouth 3: YEP video verdict

Yorkshire Evening Post

Leeds United writer Lee Sobot with his verdict from the Elland Road stands on a crazy 3-3 draw against opening Championship weekend visitors Portsmouth.

Transcript

00:00Hello there, Lee Sobot at the Yorkshire Evening Post here from Ellen Road where we are back

00:06in action and back with an absolutely wild game. The Leeds United way as is usually the

00:12case that ended in a 3-3 draw somehow against Portsmouth and I don't know where you even

00:16start with this one. A game where Leeds had absolutely loads of chances but only scored

00:22three goals which normally would be enough for a victory anyway. Obviously conceded three

00:26more at the other end. I think it was 22 attempts, shots for Leeds, just five for Portsmouth.

00:31They scored three from those five. Leeds only managed three themselves. There's so much

00:36happened in this game but that's basically the tale of this game is that Leeds didn't

00:40take enough of their chances because they did actually obviously create an awful lot.

00:43Although you could also say the other facet to take from this is poor defending really

00:47and I think that's probably fair enough to say that. The other thing to mention here

00:51is that you kind of knew it was going to be a crazy game or something was on the cards.

00:55Leeds hit the crossbar. Denied by the crossbar three times in the opening exchanges, five

00:58or six minutes. Absolutely madness and I think fans were tearing their hair out as to what

01:03was happening there but still worked their head anyway. We're ten minutes on the clock.

01:06Dan James won a penalty. Pascal Stroik stepped up to take it. Possibly a new penalty taker.

01:10We've seen him take them before but he is a centre-back obviously. Very cool finish

01:14though. That was 1-0. More and more chances. Even at that stage it could have been 3-4-0

01:19Leeds, maybe even 5. They had that many chances to be honest. But then came Portsmouth, scored

01:23with the first attack really. Lovely ball down the side of the box. Neat finish to make

01:26it 1-1. Threw Mellier a little bit though, it has to be said. That was 1-1 and then 2-1

01:31up at half-time as a free kick. It was cleared by Joe Rodon but straight into the player's

01:35path. Can Lang with a very, very nice finish from the edge of the box to make it 2-1. And

01:42then that was 2-1 up at the break. I don't think anybody knew what was going to happen

01:45then. One minute after the restart, Willy Nonto who was excellent, particularly in the

01:49second half. Cut in from the left. Very nice finish. Quite Somervillish really the way

01:52he did that. That was 2-2. Then so many chances really for Leeds. That's when they should

01:57have exercised their authority and really got in front. Well, they should have done

02:00in the first half anyway. But in the end, no chances taken. 2-2. Looked to be heading

02:05for a 2-2 draw, which obviously would have been groans about that anyway. But then it

02:09very nearly got even worse when Portsmouth were awarded a penalty right at the end. Just

02:14a needless foul really from Newsan and Jadon Bogle. I know some people will say it's not

02:18a penalty but he is grabbing the guy's shirt and stuff on the edge of the box. It's just

02:22a dangerous ploy. Very neat conversion from Lang to make it 3-2 to Portsmouth. That looked

02:26like being that. And yet the drama still wasn't done. Of all people, Brendan Aronson involved

02:31in two massive bits of drama. A few boos when he came on as a substitute. Not an awful lot

02:35but there were a few. But it was him who saved Leeds' bacon really. First and foremost making

02:41it 3-3. Wiggling around on the edge of the box. Very neat finish. I think that was 95

02:45minutes or something when that went in. That obviously you think is that. But then incredibly,

02:49one more chance to win it when it slipped in one-on-one by Bogle, of all people. Just

02:54got a score. It's literally a one-on-one. Sends it the wrong side of the post. As much

02:58as I was looking at that, I was looking at the players' reaction. People like Roden were

03:02on their knees at that. Sort of as if to say how did that not go in? But ultimately he

03:07has scored the goal also that's got Leeds to draw. There's so much to take from this.

03:12Mateo Jones had got his first league start at number nine after an awful long wait for

03:18that one. Did very, very well. But didn't score and did have chances to score, I should

03:23say that. Bamford came on and looked very rusty. I suppose that's to be expected. So

03:27I mean you'd probably think Jones is first choice number nine at the moment but that

03:30might change. Davy for Bogle, as I say, gave away a penalty. Looks alright going forward

03:35but certainly question marks defensively. Rothwell coming on off the bench. Obviously

03:40the return of Aronson. So there's so much to take from this game but ultimately the

03:44main thing to take from it is that it's only a point and it's a game obviously that you'd

03:48come into this one thinking Leeds should be winning and getting off to a flying start.

03:52The bad start cost them obviously at the start of last season. I think it was two points

03:55out of an opening nine. Don't want to be getting something like that this time around. Straight

03:59away after getting only one point there you feel like it obviously makes the game at West

04:03Brom even more important and that obviously won't be easy. Before that there's a small

04:08matter of a cup tie against Middlesbrough here on Wednesday evening. I mean I think

04:11everybody needs a good long rest after that first and foremost, never mind Borough at

04:14home. But an absolutely crazy game. Just a point on the board. As I say, so much to take

04:19from it. Time for a lie down or a stiff drink I think. Leeds United 3, Portsmouth 3.

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