AS Monaco 0, Leeds United 3.

September 12, 1995.

AS Monaco: Piveteau (Delaroche 46min, Puel 81min), Valery, Boli, Thuram, DiMeco, Dumas, Dos Santos, Legwinski (Henry 71min), Anderson, Scifo, Wreh. Subs not used: Madar, Viaud.

Leeds United: Lukic, Kelly, Pemberton, Wetherall, Dorigo (Beesley 46min), Whelan, McAllister, Palmer, Speed, Yeboah, Deane. Subs not used: White, Tinkler, Couzens, Beeney.

There's no doubting that Monaco is a wonderful place to be - provided, that is, if you have the necessary cash to splash and make the most of it - and maybe that is why Leeds United were in a hurry to leave the principality as soon as possible after their UEFA Cup triumph there in Sept 1995!

In my then role as soccer correspondent for the Yorkshire Evening Post, I had grabbed star striker, Tony Yeboah, to get an interview as he hurried from the dressing room to the team coach that was waiting to transport the United players to the airport for a night time take-off.

The Ghanaian striker was the man of the moment. Everyone wanted an interview with him, which was hardly surprising in view of the fact he had just scored one of the finest hat-tricks I have ever seen. His treble shattered the much-fancied AS Monaco side and gave United a 3-0 scoreline to take home to Elland Road for the second leg.

Yeboah put United ahead in the third minute when he hooked the ball over his head and into the net after goalkeeper Fabien Piveteau had the ball knocked out of his hands by teammate, Lilian Thuram, who had inexplicably charged into him.

His second goal, in the 64th minute, was a real beauty. He took a throw in from Gary McAllister and there seemed little danger until the United striker suddenly unleashed a curling shot into the top corner of the goal. "I had noticed before their goalkeeper tended to come off his line so I thought why not give it a try. I did and it went in," Yeboah explained.

With time beginning to run out for them, Monaco sent on an18-year-old -as then unknown - forward by the name of Thierry Henry but it made little difference. Yeboah completed his hat-trick nine minutes from time with a neat lob after his pace took him clear of Basile Boli. Monaco's substitute keeper, Marc Delaroche, unsuccessfully tried to close Yeboah down and was involved in a sickening collision with Boli and were both carried off.

To have gained such a commanding lead against a side which, the season before, had reached the semi-final of the European Cup, was no small feat and, not surprisingly, the champagne flowed as we flew back through the night from Monaco.

Even the thunderstorm we encountered for a time on the flight home could not dampen the spirits of those on board. The toast was 'Tony Yeboah' and manager Howard Wilkinson said of his striker: "Frankly, I have not come across anybody quite like him. He will tell you that if he gets the ball in the box he will score - and he does.''

Wilko also paid tribute to his team as a whole and, as well as Yeboah, also singled out Noel Whelan and David Wetherall for telling performances.

*For the record?United lost the home leg 1-0 to go through on a 3-1 aggregate but they came a cropper in the second round, losing 8-3 on aggregate to PSV Eindhoven, after having lost the home leg 5-3.

DON WARTERS

Leeds United Press Officer and former correspondent in the Yorkshire Evening Post