'Embarrassment' - Leeds United fans cast verdict on Cardiff display, new problem and 'standard'

Here is what our YEP Jury had to say on the 2-2 draw in Wales including a new problem in a different area of the pitch to usual.

NEIL GREWER

Crazy, crazy game. Great for the neutral and Cardiff supporters but not for us Yorkshire souls. We looked comfortable for 20 minutes despite the defence looking shaky but, by half-time, we were deservedly trailing owing to terrible defending.

Thankfully, the second half was much better although still poor and below the required standard. Darko Gyabi impressed in the early part of the game but faded and Max Wober was decent on debut. The fantastic support encouraged the boys to a rousing finale – but we really need to start scoring penalties and unchallenged headers from six yards out to avoid these nervous conclusions to games.

Man of the match: Willy Gnonto.

ANDY RHODES

Leeds United don’t half put you through it. In the end the Whites did deserve at least a replay, but the first-half performance was as poor a half as you’ll see. The same old defensive problems were there once again and they looked like costing Leeds.

What was different, though, was that things weren’t working in an attacking sense either. There was no cohesion and no plan, but the substitutions turned the tide with some mature displays. Rodrigo and Willy Gnonto carried Leeds, helped by Sam Greenwood delivering some wonderful crosses throughout. Despite the poor first half, Darko Gyabi showed flashes of why Leeds spent £5m on him at such a young age, while some of the other youngsters caught the eye as well. Nobody wants to go out of the Cup at the first hurdle but, with the league taking priority, there would certainly have been ways to rationalise it.

Man of the match: Willy Gnonto.

KEITH INGHAM

Another game that could have ended in an embarrassing FA Cup defeat. It didn’t thanks to a late, late equaliser from late sub’ Sonny Perkins after Leeds had been 2-0 down at the break. As expected, Jesse Marsch changed the line-up with Max Wober starting his Leeds career on the bench.

In the first half you might have thought that the players in defence had never played together as a unit as Cardiff went into a 2-0 lead just after the half hour. Leeds were an embarrassment to the 6,000 plus fans in the stadium. After an hour, Marsch had seen not enough and brought on Drameh, Rodrigo and Wober. Leeds got back into it through Rodrigo, his 11th in all competitions, who then had a penalty saved and it fell to Perkins to rescue Leeds as the game went into injury time. The youngster finished well when set up by Firpo. Marsch is on thin ice and a defeat could have been costly for the American. It needs to improve, starting at Villa!

Man of the match: Max Wober.

DAVID WATKINS

I thought this would be tricky and I actually forecast the draw, well, we have a history of turning third-round ties into a disaster so a draw was always going to be a good result. Playing a weakened team, either through necessity or design, was another factor; we’ve done it for years at this stage.

And so it proved. Despite controlling the game from the start, Cardiff took advantage of some typically generous defending to go two goals up and my draw prediction suddenly looked extremely optimistic. Booed off at half-time this had all the hallmarks of another FA Cup nightmare.

Three substitutions on the hour were needed to revitalise Leeds and one of them, Rodrigo, buried a header in the net. Rodrigo spurned a penalty but Leeds kept going and, with seconds left, substitute Sonny Perkins stabbed home after a clever backheel from Firpo again. Disaster averted, at least for the moment!

Man of the match: The travelling army of fans.

MIKE GILL

The Whites started well and it looked as though the cycle of failure and disappointment was going to come to an end. Then, against the run of play, captain Pascal Struijk fell asleep, leaving Robles exposed and out-of-favour striker Philogene scored with the Bluebirds first shot on goal. Worse was to come as Ojo made it two a few minutes later.

The tie was beginning to take on a depressingly familiar pattern as both sides huffed and puffed towards half-time. The Whites came into their own in the second half and dominated until they were rewarded by a fine header from Rodrigo after good work from Gnonto and Greenwood.

Joel Bagan then made a goalkeeper’s save from a shot by Firpo but Rodrigo missed the resultant penalty. Waves of attacks were finally rewarded with a striker's goal from Perkins after a good run from Gnonto and an adept flick from Firpo. A proper cup tie and United live to fight again.

Man of the match: Willy Gnonto.