Under-21s suffer narrow defeat at Leeds

Our Under-21s fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Leeds United in the Premier League 2 on Monday night.

Travelling to the LNER Community Stadium, Rhys Chadwick scored the only goal of a tight game in York, flicking the ball home with 15 minutes left to play.

On a night of few chances, we had a glorious opportunity to take a point from the game when James Wilson had the goal at his mercy with two minutes remaining, but the forward blazed over from close range as Leeds claimed all three points.

After the final whistle, a coming-together between the players saw the hosts have a man sent off, with substitute Kenneth Mensah shown a red card.

On a very chilly night in West Yorkshire, the game was well-matched with both sides well organised, structured and solid in their defences, stifling any attempt either team made to progress up the pitch.

It led to a rather slow first half and that showed as there had been almost 25 minutes played before the first shot was produced. In saying that, it was a chance that we would later look back on as golden with Ellis Lehane only thwarted by some incredible reactions from Robert Cook in the Leeds goal.

That turned out to be the best chance of the opening 45 minutes. Leeds did have a couple of half-chances as Carey Bloedorn had to twice be alive to efforts from Chadwick and then Edward Ibrovic-Fletcher, but neither attempt really troubled our man between the sticks.

The second half began in a similar vein to the first. It took until 57 minutes for the first real chance to be created as Rio Kyerematen stung the palms of Cook with a fierce drive from just inside the area. However, from that point, it was our hosts who started to enjoy the better moments with the ball and they came very close to breaking the deadlock 12 minutes later as Oliver Pickles fired just wide of the upright from range.

It was a half-chance at best, but it showed the room Leeds were starting to find in the middle of the park, and it was from that area that they grabbed their winner. Substitute Callum Mills sparked it, driving into a central area, playing the ball out to Alfie Cresswell and then on to Jayden Lienou on the wing who produced a dangerous delivery into the box for Chadwick to turn home.

That was Leeds' first - and ultimately only - clear-cut opportunity of the game and we were made to pay for it, especially after Cook's save to deny Lehane in the first half. Before the final whistle blew, we were to have one more golden chance to take a point - a gilt-edged opportunity. After Cook could only parry Armend Muslika's low effort into the path of Wilson, it looked like a certainty that the striker would find the back of the net however, from just a matter of yards out, he sent the ball over bar. There was then drama after the final whistle as Mensah was shown a red card.

Match data

Goal: Leeds - Chadwick 75.

Yellow cards: Leeds - Cook, Lienou; Spurs - Arganese-McDermott.

Red card: Leeds - Mensah.

Referee: Kavan Hurn.

Venue: LNER Community Stadium, York.

Weather: Chilly with a light breeze, nine degrees.