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Becchio's double takes his tally to four this season

Peterborough United 1 Leeds United 2

Paul Short
Saturday 25 August 2012 22:10 BST
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The winner: Luciano Becchio celebrates his second with team-mates
The winner: Luciano Becchio celebrates his second with team-mates (Getty Images)

Luciano Becchio answered the midweek criticisms of his manager, Neil Warnock, in emphatic style yesterday by scoring both goals against Peterborough to secure Leeds' second win of the season. After the midweek lapse against Blackpool, when Warnock's team had surrendered a 1-0 lead in four second-half minutes to lose 2-1, the manager was scathing of Becchio and his fellow forwards. But yesterday he was full of praise.

"The front players were poor in the defeat at Blackpool and I let them know as much," he said, "but they were much better today. We looked dangerous, Luciano got his goals and we did a very professional job."

Becchio made his point with a goal in each half. Neither needed the most taxing of finishes, with Peterborough allowing Luke Varney and then Ross McCormack to pick out the Argentinian. And, although Michael Bostwick pulled a goal back for Peterborough with 17 minutes left, Darren Ferguson's side have now lost their opening three games.

Leeds' front three combined to give them their seventh-minute lead. McCormack had already had a free-kick clawed away by goalkeeper Robert Olejnik when his pass set Varney free and, after looking up, he squared the ball for Becchio to score from 10 yards. Shane Brisley went close for Peterborough and McCormack again for Leeds, but that was it as far as first-half chances went.

Peterborough were lively after the restart, with Lee Tomlin forcing a good save out of Paddy Kenny, but their enthusiasm lasted just five minutes as Becchio grabbed a second, and his fourth this season, heading in one of the easiest goals he will ever score after the impressive McCormack picked him out, in space, with a pinpoint cross.

Peterborough Olejnik, Alcock (Little 62), Brisley, Zakuani, Ntlhe, Bostwick, McCann, Frecklington (Swanson 62), Tomlin, Boyd, Sinclair (Taylor 64)

Leeds Kenny, Peltier, Drury, Lees, Pearce, Austin, Varney, Norris, Becchio (Gray 87), Diouf (Byram 75), McCormack (Poleon 78)

Referee Scott Mathieson.

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