Leeds hold on to important away draw

Leeds hold on to important away draw

A combination of Nigel Martyn's acrobatics and bravery, a gritty rearguard fight by the Leeds defence and an orgy of poor finishing by Roma, left Leeds with genuine optimism of a place in the last eight.

Though Leeds had their own chances, particularly in a helter skelter first half, it was the 33 year old England keeper who kept his young team-mates afloat as a barrage of Roman attacks threatened to overwhelm them after a bright start.

Roma's much vaunted trio of Montella, Delvecchio and Totti were guilty of excesses that would have befitted Caligula, as they spurned a succession of opportunities, and when they did attempt to respond to coach Fabio Capello's downturned thumb, the Cornish gladiator simply refused to yield, producing a breathtaking show of defiance to keep Leeds' European dream alive.

A year after throwing a young Steve McPhail into the Lion's Den, David O'Leary had again sprung a youthful surprise in selection, handing his teenage, Welsh international midfielder, Matthew Jones the task of doing a man to man marking job on Roma's playmaker, Francesco Totti, seen by some as arguably currently Europe's finest talent.

United, sporting the blue Lazio style away strip, so hated by Roma fans, nearly took the lead in only the third minute, when a cross by Gary Kelly looped up inside the area and Eirik Bakke saw his downward header from six yards saved by the legs of Roma keeper Antonioli.

An Ian Harte long range free-kick then drifted past the Roma left hand post, before United's first scare came as a Montella header was blocked.

Candela tried his luck with a 20 yard free-kick, but that too hit a United player, before Montella got away from Lucas Radebe and jinked his way inside the area, only for Bakke to track back and rob the Italian international and the danger was cleared.

As Roma pressure continued to mount,a foul by Gary Kelly gave Totti a chance to test Martyn, but the Leeds keeper was on hand to save easily. Antonioli his opposite number then made a real mess of a long range shot by Kewell, before scrambling the ball round the post.

On 18 minutes Martyn had to pull off the first of what was to be a series of breathtaking saves. Totti got away inside the Leeds area and lashed the ball goalwards on the volley, only to see the United keeper brilliantly tip the ball over the bar.

Moments later Delvecchio found himself one on one with Martyn, nudged the ball past him, and then fell headlong inside the area.The dive was convincing enough that it needed a TV replay to confirm that there had been no contact, but on a night when he generally did Leeds few favours, the referee waved away Italian demands for a penalty.

Leeds were by now at full stretch defensively, and as Roma attacked again down the left Totti crossed, but Mangone hit his spectacular volley over the bar. Another sweeping Roma move was over complicated by the Italians and finally Delvecchio was forced backwards before he hit a tame shot straight at Martyn.

Kewell though had threatened Roma on every occasion he had picked up possession and could have put Leeds one up just before the half hour, after Bridges played him through the heart of the Roma defence, but under pressure he fired wide of Antonioli's left hand upright.

Eight minutes before the break Martyn was again called upon to save superbly from Totti, after Candela's run across the face of the United penalty area.

With frustration mounting in the home team at Leeds dogged resistance, Aldair and Michael Bridges clashed after a high challenge on the Brazilian, but as Roma raced away after the free-kick only Montella's poor control prevented the home team taking the lead. Instead, the two sides went in with a blank scoresheet still intact but only after another two superb saves by the magnificent Martyn, first at point blank range from Candela, and then another spectacular tip over from Totti.

Only three minutes after the restart Leeds had to survive another penalty scare when Montella tumbled over Jonathon Woodgate, but again the French referee waved play on, and after United raced up field Harry Kewell fizzed a low left foot shot inches past the post, from just outside the area.

Totti tried his luck with a spectacular 25 yard volley which Martyn watched fly well over his crossbar, but a moment later he had to dive low to his right to stop a drive by Cafu, the Brazilian, who had popped up in acres of space on the right side of the Leeds area.

As the half wore on United seemed to be getting to grips with Roma and occasionally, with Kewell's pace a constant threat, looked as if they could take the lead themselves.

With 20 minutes left David O'Leary introduced Alan Smith for Bridges, just seconds after Delvecchio had wasted a good opportunity for Roma when his cross drifted out of play with red shirts in real positions of danger inside him. Smith almost made the £20M rated striker pay for his profligacy, as moments later, with his first touch, he curled a dipping, 20 yarder just over the angle.

As time ticked away, with a quarter of an hour to go a mistake by Nakata let in Kewell, who again ran the Roma defence ragged, this time though his shot flew over Antonioli's bar.

At the other end Totti thought he'd finally opened the scoring seconds afterwards, his lob beating Martyn, but luckily for Leeds dropping the wrong side of the post.

Delvecchio then spurned another great chance when he he burst away from Kelly, but amazingly again he shot straight at Martyn, who gleefully clasped the ball to his stomach . Worse for Roma followed. Totti played in Montella only for the striker to rush his shot and blaze the ball over from 12 yards.

Martyn was at it again this time clinging on to Totti's umpteenth attempt on goal and when Ian Harte blocked Cafu's drive at the back post, Roma boss Fabio Capello was literally left pulling his hair out, as the closing moments saw his side fail to cash in on their attacking supremacy.

Some nerve jangling moments inside the last minutes had the 5,000 United fans in the travelling army of support gnawing at their fingernails, but Leeds hung on. David O'Leary will be well aware that his side cannot expect to escape defeat at Elland Road if Martyn is forced to repeat the astonishing level of heroics, that had a White army singing his name long into the night, in the Eternal City.