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Match Summary David Moyes rewarded his winning line-up by naming an unchanged team, with David Weir on the bench as Gravesen failed a fitness test. Everton started brightly with a superb free-kick from Pembridge needed a fingertip save form Paul Robinson in the second minute. Some lively exchanges ensued with both teams getting stuck in. Wright made a vital save off and sprung Everton into a great counter-attack involving Radzinski, Pembridge and Carsley, leading to a sequence of corners that put Leeds under pressure. After failing to score with a fairly easy chance, Barmby was then booked for diving when he failed to go around Wright and score, instead stumbling to the ground. Cheat! Barmby had a third chance at the start of the second half but Wright was alert to the danger, but got a fright from the ensuing corner as Leeds came out fighting. Better counters by Everton saw first Pembridge and then Radzinski failed to score with excellent opportunities created by wonderful flowing football. But Radzinski saw yet another shot saved by Robinson, who was having a blinder in the Leeds goal. Leeds had their chances too, Kewell with a superb left-foot strike, and Hibbert clearing off the line form the corner! Nervous times for the Blues! The game was screaming out for something different from Everton but Moyes once again left it late (74 mins) to make the obvious change, with Rooney coming on as Leeds started to finally exert their grip on the game. It seemed too late, but not for .... WAYNE ROONEY!!!! A fantastic individual goal, he picked the ball off Carsley, skipped past Radebe, driving it past Robinson and just inside the post for a superb, superb effort. YES! Que Evertonians everywhere to go totally berserk!!! David Moyes's game plan had once again paid off brilliantly, with a very solid and confident team line-up performing with admirable competence and skill to soften up Dirty Leeds and set the stage perfectly for the young Rooney. Radzinski once again ran the opposition defence ragged and should really have scored a hatful, but it didn't matter: one goal was always going to be enough, as Everton proved last week against West Ham. Everton played the game out, and the 4 minutes of added time, with continuous chants of "Rooney, Rooney, Rooney" from the raucous 4,000 Everton fans who were there to witness the slaying of the Elland Road demon by our 17-year-old wizard... WAYNE ROONEY!
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Match Facts | |||||
Leeds
United (4-4-2) Whit shirts, white shirts, white socks |
Everton (4-4-2) Blue shirts, blue shirts, blue socks |
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