CarlingNet - No 1 for Match Reports

Leeds v Wimbledon 26/08/96 8.00

Leeds                   (0) 1 Wimbledon               (0) 0 FT
Sharpe 58

Lee Sharpe eased the pressure on Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson with a stunning winner to sink Wimbledon and leave the point-less Dons anchored at the bottom of the FA Carling Premiership.

Wilkinson, under fire from sections of the Elland Road crowd after just two matches, must have been fearing the worst as the Yorkshiremen failed to shine against the typically combative Dons.

But Sharpe repaid a huge slice of the £4.5million fee that Leeds handed Manchester United for his services with a top-draw second-half strike to lift the tension and sentence Joe Kinnear's men to their third successive defeat.

Leeds' disgruntled fans made their feelings known as early as the 10th minute, boos echoing around Elland Road following a low-key start by the home side.

Indeed, Wimbledon's no-nonsense approach to the game following two successive defeats at the hands of big guns Manchester United and Newcastle gave them the upper hand in the first 45 minutes.

Marcus Gayle signalled their attacking intent in the first minute with a soaring header that home keeper Nigel Martyn did well to gather at full-stretch as the ball arrowed towards the bottom corner.

Ben Thatcher then saw his goal-bound half-volley cannon off the back of Sharpe and fly over, while Leeds defender Ian Harte had an heart-stopping moment when he headed narrowly wide of his own goal under intense pressure from Efan Ekoku.

Leeds saw on-loan Mark Hatley respond with a 20-yard drive that skidded well wide, while Lee Bowyer almost found the net just before the interval when he slid in to meet Harte's cross only for his effort to hit Neil Sullivan's chest before being scrambled clear.

But it was obvious that the home side were feeling to weight of expectation being generated by a crowd of 25,680.

Harsh half-time words from Wilkinson brought a flurry of attacks after the restart which provided the breakthrough.

Sharpe crashed a close-range shot wastefully over after being teed-up by Ian Rush but the two new boys linked to devastating effect in the 58th minute to break the stalemate.

Freebie signing Rush was again the provider, feeding Sharpe as he galloped forward and the former England winger cut inside onto his unfavoured right foot to arc a wonderful shot low past Sullivan from 20 yards.

Wimbledon hit back immediately and it needed an excellent double save by Martyn to deny them equality two minutes later.

The £2.25million keeper showed all the agility that once won him England recognition to paw away Neal Ardley's blockbuster volley and was up in a flash to complete the rescue when Gayle headed the ball towards the top corner.

Leeds should have doubled their advantage on 72 minutes when Bowyer volleyed just wide after Gary Kelly on as a substitute for the out-of-sorts Andy Couzens had ripped Wimbledon open with a blistering run before crossing to the unmarked £2.6million teenager.

Then Harte brought a fine save from Sullivan with a curling free-kick from 25 yards as the home side stepped up the tempo.

But Kelly needed to show his defensive qualities seven minutes from time with a goal-line clearance to deny Wimbledon an equaliser when Robbie Earle flashed a header towards the top corner.

And with that kind of luck, poor Kinnear must be wondering when his men will finally open their goal account this term never mind getting amongst the points.