Leeds United 4, Scunthorpe United 0
On-loan Sanchez Watt is dreaming of following up his first goal for Leeds by scoring the winner against his parent club Arsenal in Wednesday night’s FA Cup third-round replay at Elland Road.
Watt admits he won’t allow himself to celebrate on the pitch if he puts the Gunners out of the competition but he said: “If that happens, I will be happy inside. I just want to play to the best of my ability on Wednesday and hopefully I will score.”
Watt, who switched from his more accustomed wing role into a position just behind striker Luciano Becchio, scored the first of Leeds’ four goals against hapless Scunthorpe yesterday in the npower Championship and created panic among the Iron’s defenders, along with his chief accomplice Robert Snodgrass.
But Watt isn’t prepared to sit on his laurels – especially with Arsenal next on the agenda.
“Hopefully there is more to come from me,” he said. “I want to score more goals and help the team get promoted.
“At first I wasn’t expecting to play against Arsenal at the Emirates but then I was told I was playing and didn’t want to hold anything back.
"I gave it my all. It would be strange to score against Arsenal and to do it against such a great club and defence.
“My mates there keep texting me to say they will get revenge for holding them in the first game but if we stick together as a group, like we did at the Emirates, we can win.” Arsenal will provide a much more searching test of Leeds’ credentials than a very poor Scunthorpe team. Simon Grayson’s side could hardly have asked for an easier 90-minute ride in preparation for the supercharged atmosphere that will engulf the ground on Wednesday night.
Scunthorpe, who conceded four goals to Leeds for the second time this season, looked every inch a team destined for relegation, unless they show a massive improvement over the season’s remaining games.
Any fears Leeds fans had that their team would soft-pedal with the cup replay in mind were dispelled by three goals in the opening 29 minutes.
Watt ghosted round central defender Paul Reid before shooting past Republic of Ireland keeper Joe Murphy from just outside the penalty box in the 17th minute.
The second goal arrived just three minutes later. Watt won the ball in midfield and Snodgrass played a through ball to Max Gradel, who cleverly dribbled past Murphy before shooting into the unguarded net for his sixth goal in eight games and his ninth of the season.
Watt and Snodgrass combined again to unsettle Scunthorpe’s defence in the 18-yard box and when the ball came out to Bradley Johnson, he fired just inside the right post from 25 yards for his fifth of the campaign.
Former Huddersfield Town midfielder Michael Collins produced a clever back-heeled shot which veered just outside the far angle of Leeds’ post and bar but that was the only serious threat to the home defence in an overwhelmingly one-sided first half.
Leeds started the second period with Billy Paynter in place of leading scorer Becchio, who picked up a back injury which makes him a doubt for the replay.
Later they replaced the irrespressible Snodgrass and Watt with Ross McCormack and Davide Somma.
Perhaps inevitably, the momentum dropped in the second half but Murphy had to make a smart save from Watt, Michael Raynes blocked Gradel’s stinging volley and Somma drilled in Leeds’ fourth goal in the 89th minute, after being released by Gradel’s well-judged pass.
Scunthorpe substitute Jonathan Forte had two opportunities but first he drove wide of the far post and then his shot was deflected by Alex Bruce on to the angle of post and bar.
Left back George McCartney, who went straight into the Leeds team at the start of his second loan spell from Sunderland, slotted in well but he is ineligible for the cup replay so former Bantam Ben Parker is expected to come back into the defence.
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