Leeds reach play-off final

Monday, 08, May 2006 10:46

Nine-man Leeds United have reached the Championship play-off final after a 2-0 win over Preston at Deepdale.

The victory on the night gave them a 3-1 aggregate lead after the 1-1 draw at Elland Road on Saturday.

Goals from Rob Hulse and Frazer Richardson were enough on the night to secure their place at the Milliennium stadium on May 21st but they will be without Stephen Crainey and Richard Cresswell, who were both red carded.

Billy Davies' side will feel hard done by having been the better attacking side for much of the second-half.

The home side's hopes suffered an early blow when striker Brett Ormerod was stretchered off with a suspected broken leg after just ten minutes.

Both sides struggled to create anything positive in front of goal though as the chess-like manner of the first game was carried into tonight's clash.

The crowd were then forced to wait 25 minutes after a floodlight failure hit the ground at half-time.

When the power did come back on, it was Leeds who emerged the brighter and scored twice before the hour mark.

First, captain Gary Kelly swung in a corner on 56 minutes and Hulse was on hand to power a header past Carlo Nash from close range.

Hulse then turned provider four minutes later as his low cross was smashed goalwards by Richardson.

The goalkeeper managed to get something behind the ball but it was not enough to stop the ball going in.

Preston streamed forward after that but Leeds' defence held firm, despite Crainey's dismissal on 68 minutes for a second yellow card.

Tyrone Mears had the ball in the net with nine minutes remaining but the linesman adjudged that it had gone out of play from the corner.

Cresswell was then sent off in injury-time for a second yellow for kicking the ball away.