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First Team News

On This Day… 5th May

5 May 2020

First Team News

On This Day… 5th May

5 May 2020

We have had one first leg Play-Off game in the Championship down the years on this date in years gone by.

And it was a game that saw David Nugent’s stunning goal at Elland Road, levelled up by Eddie Lewis’ free kick at Elland Road on May 5th 2006.
 
Matthew Kilgallon had headed against the post for Leeds before Nugent put PNE ahead in the first game, dribbling past four men before slotting the ball home, but Leeds levelled when former North End winger Lewis curled the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box.
 
The Lilywhites came into the game as the team in form after winning five of their last six games of the regular season - including a final day win over Leeds - while the home side had managed just one victory in the same period.
 
But Leeds were boosted by the support of their biggest crowd since their relegation from the Premiership in 2004 - and kick-off had to be delayed by 15 minutes to allow all of the 35,239 fans into Elland Road.
 
When the game did get going it was the home side who made the brighter start, and had a good shout for a penalty turned down after PNE defender Youl Mawene knocked Kilgallon over inside the box. And Kevin Blackwell's side also had the first effort on goal when Kilgallon rose to meet a Lewis cross at the back post and sent a header clattering against the post.
 
But the visitors were lively too, and Nugent - making his first start since returning from seven weeks out with a metatarsal injury - should have done better when he fired over the bar after a cleverly-worked free-kick. That was by far the Lancashire side's best chance of the first half - but three minutes after the restart they stunned Leeds by taking the lead.
There appeared to be no danger when Nugent picked up Carlo Nash's clearance, but he made straight for goal and ran through the Leeds defence before shooting past Neil Sullivan.
Leeds initially came back strongly, with Liam Miller testing Nash with a powerful shot, but although they continued to dominate possession it appeared they had run out of ideas in front of goal.
 
In fact, Brett Ormerod almost added to PNE's lead when he smashed Danny Dichio's knockdown goalwards to bring a smart save out of Sullivan.
 
But with 16 minutes left Leeds finally found an equaliser when Lewis found the top corner with his free-kick despite Graham Alexander's best efforts to head the ball off the line.
 
We also had a big win on this year 92 years ago as the Lilywhites were triumphant by a scoreline of 6-4 against the Mariners of Grimsby Town… unfortunately we have no footage of that high-scoring encounter!

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