Memory Match: Leeds United 4-0 Crystal Palace

Memory Match: Leeds United 4-0 Crystal Palace

A League Cup clash from 2008/09.

Ahead of Sunday’s Premier League match against Crystal Palace at Elland Road, Ben Scott takes a trip down memory lane to look at a classic previous encounter. Going back to the 2008/09 campaign, refresh your memory on an exciting night under the lights in West Yorkshire for a League Cup clash.


This was game five of the 57 Leeds would play during the 2008/09 season and it saw them clash with Crystal Palace at Elland Road in the League Cup. The Eagles from London arrived from the Championship, a division above Leeds at that time. But, they left well and truly grounded, as Gary McAllister’s Leeds side swooped all over them.

The last time these two had met in the League Cup here was way back in September 1962 - Leeds winning that one 2-1.

The Whites had earned their place in Round Two after comfortably seeing off Chester City, away from Elland Road, by a score of 5-2. Neil Warnock, then the Palace manger, could only look on in frustration as his side also crumbled under the fearless and incessant attacking play from the hosts. 

After just 11 minutes Frazer Richardson sent a dangerous ball traveling at speed from his position at right-back, the ball angled towards the centre, just out of the Palace penalty area. It caused issues and after Jermaine Beckford and then Luciano Becchio had bravely won headers, the ball fell invitingly for Jonathan Douglas and the midfielder raced in and placed home from 10-yards out, past goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan - the beginning of a long night for the ‘keeper.

Leeds kept up the pressure with the threat of Beckford or Becchio always keeping the Palace rearguard on their toes. Leeds forwards were supplied by clever play from midfielders Neil Kilkenny, Fabian Delph and the aforementioned Douglas.


Jon HoweJermaine Beckford celebrates after scoring a second for the Whites!


Surprisingly, it took 21 minutes before the Leeds lead had doubled. The unsurprising detail was that it was Beckford among the goals, as ever (his time at Leeds saw him notch up 71 goals from 126 games). He got this one as he met a Kilkenny cross from the right with a bullet header from seven yards, putting too much power and direction on it for Flahavan and his teammates.

Seven minutes into the second half, Leeds sealed the win. The move started as Douglas fed the ball out wide on the right for Richardson. He swung in a sweet cross for Becchio and the forward’s close-range header at the far post had too much on it. Despite Flahavan’s efforts to claw the ball away, it fell inside his goal and was no more than Leeds’ play had deserved. 

Five minutes later and McAllister let Becchio rest up, as he subbed him for Enoch Showunmi, who would wrap up the scoring and send Leeds into the hat for the next round. The tie had only 14 minutes left when Showunmi was fed the ball on the left. He attacked the space on offer as the Palace player nearest to him kept backing off, closer to his goal. Enoch dribbled in and, from just outside of the six-yard box, dispatched a curling, neat finish low into the bottom corner.

That cup upset began a period that saw Leeds often grabbing the headlines as from League One they would topple high-flyers Watford at home, get an incredible win at Manchester United and very creditable draws in North London against Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. 

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