Football: Demise of Rush is bad news for Leeds romantics

Leeds United 1 Crystal Palace

For a brief moment it was classic Ian Rush. As the ball bounced free in the penalty area, the great goal poacher gave his marker the slip to create a crucial yard of space for himself. With his back to goal, he swivelled 180 degrees and shaped to volley goalwards.

There, however, the similarities with the man who scored so many goals from such situations while wearing Liverpool red ended. The Leeds striker struck the ball well enough, but it cleared the bar by a distance.

Ten minutes later Rush cleverly seized on a defender's momentary hesitation and in a split second had got in another shot. The result, however, was the same as the ball ended high up in the South Stand.

On the evidence of Saturday's FA Cup third round replay at Elland Road, Rush's instincts remain intact but he has lost that sharpness which helped make him the outstanding British goalscorer of his generation. In 26 matches for Leeds this season he has scored just three times.

While it would be wrong to lay at Rush's feet all of Leeds' scoring problems, it cannot be long before George Graham looks elsewhere to improve his team's goalscoring record. In the Premiership only West Ham have a lower goals tally than Leeds' 21.

Until Crystal Palace threw men forward in search of an equaliser, Leeds rarely looked capable of opening up their First Division opponents' defence. Rod Wallace's winning goal, a rasping left-foot shot from 15 yards, provided a rare moment of inspiration, although he was fortunate to have the opportunity to shoot. After the match Dave Bassett, the Palace manager, justifiably claimed that Wallace had fouled Dean Gordon to gain possession.

At least Graham has instilled some defensive security. Despite the unavailability of four defenders, Leeds restricted Palace to a handful of half chances in a low-key game which had none of the drama and passion of the first encounter.

Graham can now prepare for next week's fourth-round trip away to his former club, Arsenal. The traditional romantic FA Cup storyline, which began with Nigel Martyn keeping Leeds in the competition by saving a penalty in the last-minute against his former Palace team-mates, demands a famous Leeds victory at Highbury; logic says that even a Bergkamp-less Arsenal should comfortably beat this uninspiring Leeds side.

Goal: Wallace (42) 1-0.

Leeds United (5-3-2): Martyn; Kelly, Palmer, Radebe, Halle, Dorigo; Wallace, Bowyer, Jackson; Rush, Deane. Substitutes not used: Beesley, Ford, Beeney.

Crystal Palace (5-3-2): Day; Muscat, Edworthy, Roberts, Tuttle, Gordon; Hopkin, Veart (Freedman, 61), Ndah; Dyer (McKenzie, 73), Shipperley. Substitute not used: Quinn.

Referee: L R Dilkes (Mossley). Bookings: Leeds: Palmer. Palace: Gordon.

Man of the match: Radebe. Attendance: 21,903.