Two goals at the death from Jason Pearce and Matt Smith won the game for Leeds, but only after the Lions had pushed them all the way in an entertaining game at a packed Nethermoor.
Playing their first pre-season game on English soil under their new first-team coach, ex-Forest Green manager David Hockaday, the visitors huffed and puffed in a languid first-half display that saw Steve Morison hit the side netting and Tomasso Bianchi bring a fingertip save from Steven Drench.
For their part the home side went close, Danny Forrest shooting just over before being denied by a Charlie Taylor intervention. Wayne Brooksby’s cross-cum-shot was then diverted over his own bar by Ross Killock.
The Lions nearly took the lead on the restart when a good move down the left resulted in Jake Lawlor putting his shot just the wrong side of the upright. Gavin Rothery tested the visitors’ new Italian keeper Marco Silvestri before Danny Lowe’s shot was blocked by a timely interception from Tom Lees.
Drench once again showed his class to push Lewis Walters’s effort round the post but he was eventually beaten on 88 minutes by Pearce’s header, despite Kyle Harrison’s valiant attempt to stop the ball crossing the line. And then, with the last kick of the game, Smith converted Sam Byram’s low cross to round off the scoring.
Team:
1-Steven Drench
2-Andy Holdsworth
3-Ben Parker (Harrison)
4-Danny Lowe
5-Danny Hall
6- Jake Lawlor (Toulson)
7-Wayne Brooksby (Porritt)
8-Jack Stockdill
9-Adam Boyes (Lee)
10-Danny Forrest (Marshall)
11-Gavin Rothery
12-Ryan Toulson
14-Oli Johnson
15-Kyle Harrison
16-Jameel Ible
17-Luke Porritt
18-Redmond Lee
19-Callum Marshall
20-Ben Walker
21-Elliott Scott
