INEVITABLY, the post-match talk concerned Leeds United’s future. Their manager, Kevin Blackwell, is not afraid to stare that future in the eyes and has confidence in what he has done at a club that was little more than a footballing wasteland last June.

“At that time myself and Gary Kelly were the only people in place and I’m proud that I put together a team in just four months,” he said. “I think I am good enough to go all the way, but whether it’s me or somebody else, there is a team to build on now.”

Whether that team would have impressed new chairman Ken Bates — he had stayed away to avoid turning the occasion into a media circus — at the Britannia Stadium yesterday is frankly in doubt. Nevertheless, there was an almost tangible expectation from the Leeds supporters that matters were about to improve, which placed extra pressure on the 11 that wore the shirt.

The first half belonged to City, with Darel Russell distinguishing himself down the right. A succession of home corners kept the focus of play on Neil Sullivan’s goal, while Leeds’s wunderkind, Aaron Lennon, was kept out of the game by the home defence.

Leeds came close to scoring when Frazer Richardson fed a ball through to David Healy, whose drive sizzled past Steve Simonsen’s post. But when Russell picked out Ade Akinbiyi, who for once gave Clarke Carlisle the slip, Sullivan’s well-timed advance cut off the shot.

Where Simonsen had nothing of substance to do in the first half, United had to depend on Sullivan’s alertness.

Blackwell was brutally honest about his side’s first-half performance. “We played like we were still on the bus,” he said. “Perhaps there were too many things on people’s minds from what’s happened in the last few days. The game was a war of attrition and I had to put a few words in some chosen ears at half-time.

“Stoke are a very physical side and I had to stop the lads from fighting physically and get them to play to their own strengths.”

Jermaine Wright saw more of the ball after the interval, and with Julian Joachim’s pace on the right, United were able to stretch the Potters. Even so, the Leeds goal on 71 minutes was out of the blue. True, Healy fired in a magnificent centre, but the home defence had looked capable of dealing with anything thrown at it all afternoon. This time Wayne Thomas, who played soundly throughout, woefully misjudged the ball’s flight and turned it into his own net.

STAR MAN: Clarke Carlisle (Leeds United)

Player ratings. Stoke City: Simonsen 6, Thomas 5, Clarke 6, Hill 5 (Asaba 82min, 5), Brammer 6 (Eustace 85min, 5), Noel-Williams 5 (Greenacre 54min 6), Akinbiyi 6, Russell 7, Buxton 6, Jarrett 7, Taggart 7

Leeds United: Sullivan 7, Kelly 7, Carlisle 7, Butler 6, Wright 7, Gregan 7, Healy 7, Pugh 7, Richardson 6, Lennon 6 (Joachim h-t, 7), Deane 7 (Ricketts 68min, 6)

Scorer: Leeds United: Thomas og 71

Referee: I Williamson

Attendance: 18,372

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