Leeds emerged from five years of hurt to inflict some pain of
their own as Jermaine Beckford's first-half goal secured a 1-0 victory
over old enemies Manchester United at Old Trafford.
It is six years since Leeds' loyal fans have made this particular
trip - and not since 1981 have they returned across the Pennines
celebrating victory. But in manager Simon Grayson they have a man
with the club in his heart, and in Beckford they have a striker
capable of shooting them to better things.
Those are things to cling to when your once proud club has struck
financial strife so deep it sends you tumbling into League One.
And when Beckford's 20th goal of the campaign trundled past Tomasz
Kuszczak, you could just sense the hosts would not be saved - not
even by the five minutes of stoppage time that must have shredded
a few nerves before that final glorious release.
In a sense, Sir Alex Ferguson was stuck between a rock and a hard
place. Normally, a week involving two cup matches, one against a
side from two levels below, at home, would offer an obvious opportunity
to blood a few of his youngsters.
Yet Leeds are no ordinary League One outfit.
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