Srnicek fumble proves costly

Pavel Srnicek failed to seize the moment on Saturday. In full view of nearly 40,000 people he fumbled badly to present Leeds with their first goal. About an hour later, Sheffield Wednesday's goalkeeper dropped a pen proffered by a young autograph hunter. It was that kind of day.

Srnicek and Wednesday must quickly write this off to experience, as surely will Leeds. After all, David O'Leary sees everything as a learning curve for his young team, even if they remain at the summit of English football and have now equalled a club record beyond even Don Revie's more accomplished championship sides.

Records, said O'Leary, do not mean much to him, even in the afterglow of equalling a club-best of nine successive wins that had stood for 68 years. But for once the Leeds manager could not be accused of excessive caution about his increasingly lauded side. The action spoke for itself.

Danny Wilson indulged in exaggeration, claiming Wednesday had "14 chances - maybe a bit more", but his over-estimate was understandable in view of their much greater creativity.

O'Leary admitted: "The wrong team won the match. You have got to be a good manager and a lucky manager. Today I was a very lucky manager."

Doubly lucky, in fact, in the space of two minutes deep into the match. First Harry Kewell kicked out at Danny Sonner and was fortunate not to join Saturday's rash of Premiership red cards. Then, as Darren Huckerby shot weakly, Alan Smith appeared off-side only to escape the flag and gleefully seize on Srnicek's fumble.

Leeds went for the throat, but the execution of the second goal also owed something to good fortune.

Huckerby's pull-back was diverted on to a post by Wednesday's Petter Rudi and the 18-year-old Smith struck a simple second.

O'Leary scoffed at his team's UEFA Cup's prospects as they prepare to meet Lokomotiv Moscow on Thursday.

"We are not going to win that cup," he said flatly. "We're just keeping the competition warm until the big sides drop in from the Champions League." Leeds may be playing to the limit of their ability, but O'Leary is currently more concerned with physical capacity.

"Most of them have played all the games this season," he said. "A few are a bit tired, and we are playing every game like a cup final. Even in training, they run around at 150 miles an hour. I've got to try and curtail it." Wilson can only hope his influential players will remain fit; their return has underpinned Wednesday's undeniably improved performances.

But for Srnicek's slip, and the contrasting excellence of Nigel Martyn in saving magnificently from Niclas Alexandersson and Andy Booth inside a minute, Wednesday would have enjoyed more tangible reward.

LEEDS UNITED: Martyn, Mills, Woodgate, Radebe, Kelly, Bowyer, Batty, McPhail, Kewell, Smith, Bridges (Huckerby 62). Subs Not Used: Haaland, Hopkin, Bakke, Robinson. Booked: Bridges, Kewell. Goals: Smith 72, 78.

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY: Srnicek, Atherton, Walker, Thome, Hinchcliffe, Alexandersson, Sonner, Jonk, Rudi, Booth, De Bilde. Subs Not Used: Sibon, Cresswell, Nolan, Briscoe, Pressman. Booked: Atherton, Rudi, Sonner.

Referee: G Barber (Pyrford).