Bradford 1 .... Leeds 2 - Saturday 6th March 2010

Leeds U12's got back to winning ways at last with a hard earned away win at Bradford.
The idyllic setting of Silsden Sports Club was the venue for this friendly derby match.
An injury plagued Leeds team, with only 10 fully fit / available U.12 players, lined up with a front two of Grady Marshall and Kristian Smith, a midfield four of Joe Firth, Scott Townend, Jacob Archer and Sam Armstrong ( u.11 ), and a back four of Oscar Bailey, Lee Rowley, Ross Dickinson, and Andy Slinger...bringing up the rearguard, in goals Ross McKenna....with just the one sub, Will Mitchell who was partly injured, but who proved to be Leeds' super sub later in the game....
Leeds got off to a good start and took the game strongly to Bradford, Scott and Jacob in centre midfield competed strongly for the ball and launched a series of attacks down both wings via Joe on the left and Sam on the right, the first clear cut chance falling to Leeds from a corner, crossed in by Grady and headed just inches wide by Ross Dickinson on the near post who'd pushed up from defence for the corner.
The next Leeds chance was created by good right wing play by Sam, who then released Grady who raced clear to the by-line and put over a great cross to the back post where Kristian headed onto the bar...so unlucky...
Further 1st half chances fell to Grady, Kristian, and Joe but they could'nt find the back of the net, and the first half ended goalless but with Leeds dominating possession and creating several chances they were full of confidence. HT 0-0
A partly injured Will Mitchell came on at half time, and replaced Grady up front...this was a big gamble by the Leeds managers but it soon paid off, on 40 minutes a well worked Leeds move down the right wing ended with Will crossing the ball hard and low across the face of the Bradford goal, and an unfortunate Bradford defender deflected the ball in for the opening goal....0-1 ( o.g. ).
Bradford started to come more into the game then, but strong tackling by Oscar, Ross, Lee and Andy in defence, and by Scott, Jacob and Joe in midfield, broke up the Bradford play, and on 50 minutes Leeds launched another attack down the right wing which ended with a powerful right foot strike by our super sub Will Mitchell, the ball flying high into the top corner of the net from a tight angle despite the Bradford keeper getting a hand to it...0-2.
The last ten minutes was a real battle as Bradford fought hard to get back into the match, but the Leeds boys dug in deep on the heavy muddy pitch to protect their 2 goal lead....however on 55 minutes failure to clear the ball fully from defence allowed Bradford to score a consolation goal, 1-2, but the Leeds boys hung on for a well deserved win !!
FT 1-2.
Well done boys, you dug out a good win despite a depleated team, to do the double over Bradford this season was great ( previous match Leeds 5 ... Bradford 0... October 2009 ).