SOCCER/ FA Premiership - Bolton Wanderers 4; Leeds United 1: Songs of pride, anger and defiance rang out from the away supporters' end as the slow-motion disaster of Leeds United's season reached its inevitable conclusion yesterday.
Even if Leeds were to win their two remaining fixtures, Manchester City's vastly superior goal-difference means that Yorkshire will be without a club in the top flight next season for the first time in 20 years.
A goal up at the interval, but already down to 10 men, Leeds collapsed in the second half. Three goals were conceded in a seven-minute spell soon after the restart (two to Youri Djorkaeff and one via an Ian Harte own goal), followed by a fourth (from Kevin Nolan) shortly before the end as they were relegated along with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City. Such was their disarray that, with Bolton's increasingly confident forwards queuing up to take pot-shots, it could have been a dozen.
"I'm realistic enough to know that, over the season, we weren't good enough," Eddie Gray said afterwards. "Nobody has a divine right." The Leeds manager refused to speculate on his own future or that of his star players, but added: "It will not be the end of the club."
After the final whistle, most of the Leeds players went to commiserate with their supporters, whose singing had redoubled in fervour. The last to leave was a tearful Alan Smith, Leeds born and bred and a source of unstinting effort, but now surely bound for other pastures.
Notable by his absence was Mark Viduka, who had scored Leeds' goal from the penalty spot before indulging in a three-minute period of madness that saw him expelled after receiving two yellow cards for gratuitous fouls, leaving his colleagues to face the final hour a man short.
Viduka's afternoon summed up Leeds' season. Here was a man, on a £60,000-a-week contract, who started the match as if nothing much was at stake, merely shrugging his shoulders when his nonchalant flicks went astray.
When Smith won a penalty after 25 minutes, falling under Emerson Thome's challenge, Viduka dispatched the kick efficiently enough, recording his 11th league goal of the season.
On the half-hour, however, he flicked his studs into Thome's thigh and received a first caution from the referee, Steve Bennett.
When he chased and fouled Ivan Campo a few seconds later he was fortunate that Mr Bennett took no action. Evidently not content with his escape, he deliberately swung his elbow at Bruno N'Gotty as they challenged for a high ball and was shown a second yellow card. How his colleagues, struggling to save their club, must have thanked him.
On the day before the match, Lucas Radebe, the club captain, had given an interview in which he divided the dressing-room into four categories. There were local boys whose loyalty was unquestioned, incomers who had retained their commitment, others who had given up hope, and a few who were already contemplating a well rewarded future elsewhere. It would not be hard to work out where Viduka, with his fixed expression of disenchanted superiority, fitted into Radebe's analysis.
Guardian Service
