This was the Yeti's first match of the 1997-98 season and it showed. Resplendant in the kit borrowed from Filbert Street, the team looked good, smart in fact, but couldn't live up to the standard of kit :)
The Lards team was fairly organised and they were the first to show, shooting just wide from a good cross into the box. The first save of the match was made by Derek Marshall turning a shot onto the bar and over, but from the resulting corner Leeds scored with a cracking header which flew just inside the angle of post and bar.
The Leeds team where showing their more organised approach, but were unable to capitalise on their posession and the Yetis almost equalised when a Lard backpass went horribly wrong and hit the post, only to rebound out of harms way. The Yetis went into the halftime interval just the one goal behind.
Time for one of Porl Coulson's legendary half time team talks... "You can do this - score some goals" and it was back onto the pitch with the wind behind us, somehow believing we could get back into the game. Unfortunately within a couple of minutes of the restart, Derek Marshall failed to hold onto a loose grasscutting shot from a Leeds forward, and there you had it, rebound bundled home, 2-0. Next minute, Leeds attack again, and after a scramble in the Yeti box, Paul Griffiths (accidentally) handballs, and bang, its 3-0.
4-0 soon followed, (to be honest I can't remember what happenned on this one), but shock of shocks the Yetis promptly pulled one back! 4-1.... PARTY TIME !. It was a well taken shot too, from the right hand side of the area, scored by Mark Gilbert. Unperturbed, the Yetis continued to fight hard, and another couple shots must have had the Leeds defence a trifle surprised. Leeds hit back with another good strike after a horrific mixup in the Leicester defence where 4 defenders all left it for each other. After this the game dwindled into a draw, except for a final flourish from the Lards which resulted in a fine save from Derek "The Cat" Marshall, who threw himself at the feet of "Eric Cantona" to turn the ball away.
All in all, a good day was had by everyone, drink in the bar afterwards were most welcome, and almost everybody went to the match at Filbo in the afternoon - roll on the next game...!
