HALF A POUND OF NUTS AND BOLTS...

Last updated : 15 October 2006 By Ed

BBC:

Leeds 0-4 Stoke Att: 18,173

Leeds' season hit a new low as Stoke secured their first away win of the season in fine style to send John Carver's side into the bottom three.

The excellent Lee Hendrie opened the scoring after seven minutes with a superbly-struck free-kick.

Andy Griffin slammed in a drive before the hour mark and Danny Higginbotham's header made it 3-0 shortly afterwards.

Leeds' Robbie Blake had a penalty saved, before Ricardo Fuller completed the rout with two minutes remaining.

The Sunday Times:

Eleven league matches played, seven demoralising defeats, four of which have come at home — the statistics certainly make depressing reading for followers of Leeds United and, if yesterday's match was anything to judge, then perhaps the chances of caretaker manager John Carver securing the job on a full-time basis is in serious doubt, too.

The nights have barely begun to get shorter and yet Leeds's prospects of promotion this season is looking increasingly unlikely. Behind as early as the seventh minute, through Lee Hendrie's fantastic free kick, they were embarrassingly off the pace, conceding three times more, and losing to Stoke City at Elland Road for the first time since February 1981.