Football: Jewell hopes to make Leeds pay

THE BRADFORD CITY manager, Paul Jewell, was hoping that David O'Leary would still be thinking over the Leeds United manager's job tonight - to give his side a greater chance of winning their Worthington Cup tie.

The disruption of the past six weeks at Elland Road finally drew to a close on Sunday night when O'Leary signed a two and a half year contract. Tonight's Yorkshire derby against City is his first official game in charge.

The recent form of both sides points to a possible upset. Bradford have lost only one of their past 10 games, while Leeds have not won in their past seven.

United have also managed just one goal in their four matches while O'Leary was in charge on a caretaker basis, but Jewell feels that could now change.

"David O'Leary was always going to take the Leeds job," he said. "I took in the Chelsea match on Sunday and Leeds have clearly been given a new lease of life. They were playing the ball around beautifully."

The game is the first between the two local rivals since Leeds' promotion- winning year in 1990 and now Jewell is determined to help Bradford join them in the Premiership.

"This is what we want next season, to be playing Premiership teams week in and week out," Jewell said. "It's an early test to see if we will be able to play at the highest level,."

Jewell adds Jamie Lawrence, Mark Prudhoe, Edinho and Ashley Westwood to his squad, while Leeds' 19-year-old goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, again looks set to deputise for Nigel Martyn, with the England international still troubled by a rib injury.

Martyn will today discuss a new contract with the Leeds chairman, Peter Ridsdale.