Preview: Leeds - Town

By Aston
April 27 2007

STB brings you team news, manager previews, betting odds and officials ahead of Town’s game against Leeds United tomorrow (KO 3pm).

Leeds will have access to midfielder Alan Thompson after the red card he picked up against Southampton last week was rescinded but Jonathan Douglas is still banned. Michael Gray has recovered from an illness and is expected to play.

 

Leeds manager Denis Wise: “We all know how important it is to get the result, It's a massive game and we've just got to win, put pressure on Hull and take it to the wire.

 

“There's a lot of things that could happen, and I'm sure the fans will tell us on Saturday. I'm sure we'll hear a cheer if Hull are losing and that will help.

 

“We'll have someone telling us because that's important. It helps now if you know what is happening elsewhere, because there's a lot of things to think about and a lot to do."

 

“This club is massive and there could be changes, I think everyone knows that and we

 

“That's why we want to get out of this - it has to mean so much to everyone.

 

“It's not fair on the people here. It's not about football. It's about caring about people in this place.

 

“And the fans don't deserve anything that could come to us because that's not fair either.

 

“You have to work as hard as possible and if you do you put your hands up and say 'I've given it as much as I can, I apologise, we haven't been good enough' or 'I've given it as much as possible, we've got out of this and we were just good enough'”

 

Town have left Danny Haynes out of the squad after he suffered a cracked jaw bone whilst playing for the reserves earlier in the week. Lewis Price is fit again but Shane Supple is expected to remain in goal. Richard Naylor, Jason De Vos and Sylvain Legwinski are all out.

 

Squad: Bruce, Clarke, Garvan, Harding, Jeffers, Lee, Miller, O'Callaghan, Peters, Price, Richards, Roberts, Sito, Supple, Walters, Williams, Wilnis, Wright.

 

Town manager Jim Magilton: “Leeds will come at us hammer and tongs and it will be like a play-off game.

 

“Although it is not win or bust for us I want my players to become comfortable in that environment so that when the big games come, which I am sure they will in the future, we will be prepared and able to express ourselves on big occasions.

 

“We looked a bit leggy at Norwich last Sunday with the number of games we have played taking a toll, but this is a game where we will be going all out to win.”

 

Betting Odds (found using Sportsnetwork Odds Checker):

Leeds: 39/50

Draw: 14/5

Town: 4/1

 

Officials:

Referee - M Jones

Assistants - M Brown and N Murphy

Fourth Official - C A Barker

 

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