Elland Road - Evening MatchManchester United may be mocked for their “Fergie time” exploits, but all the best teams fight to the very end. You see it every year in the early rounds of the FA Cup, lesser teams matching the giants until the closing stages of the match when stamina and quality really start to tell.

Without all the late goals they’ve benefited from, it’s hard to imagine Manchester United would have been as successful as they have. But that’s so often what separates Champions and also-rans, the “fine lines” Neil Warnock regularly blamed for Leeds United’s failings this season.

Leeds United’s 2012/13 campaign stands testament to the old footballing cliché – “it’s a game of two halves.” Not only have The Whites scored twice as many goals in the second half of games (36) as they have in the first half (18), they’ve also conceded 45 of their 61 goals in the second half – that’s 74%.

What’s made the 2012/13 season particularly excruciating (aside from the hoofball) is the amount of goals we’ve conceded in the final minutes of games. Leeds United have dropped 5 points in injury time alone, and the stats are worse still for the final 15 minutes of games;

Date Score at 75 minutes Score at full time Points at 75 Points at FT
06/04/13 Charlton 1-0 Leeds United Charlton 2-1 Leeds United 0 0
01/04/13 Leeds United 1-1 Derby County Leeds United 1-2 Derby County 1 0
30/03/13 Ipswich Town 3-0 Leeds United Ipswich Town 3-0 Leeds United 0 0
16/03/13 Leeds United 1-1 Huddersfield Town Leeds United 1-2 Huddersfield Town 1 0
12/03/13 Leeds United 1-1 Peterborough Leeds United 1-1 Peterborough 1 1
09/03/13 Crystal Palace 1-2 Leeds United Crystal Palace 2-2 Leeds United 3 1
05/03/13 Leicester City 0-1 Leeds United Leicester City 1-1 Leeds United 3 1
02/03/13 Leeds United 1-0 Millwall Leeds United 1-0 Millwall 3 3
23/02/13 Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Leeds United Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Leeds United 1 1
20/02/13 Leeds United 2-0 Blackpool Leeds United 2-0 Blackpool 3 3
12/02/13 Middlesbrough 0-0 Leeds United Middlesbrough 1-0 Leeds United 1 0
09/02/13 Wolves 1-1 Leeds United Wolves 2-2 Leeds United 1 1
02/02/13 Leeds United 0-1 Cardiff City Leeds United 0-1 Cardiff City 0 0
19/01/13 Leeds United 1-0 Bristol City Leeds United 1-0 Bristol City 3 3
12/01/13 Barnsley 2-0 Leeds United Barnsley 2-0 Leeds United 0 0
01/01/13 Leeds United 1-0 Bolton Leeds United 1-0 Bolton 3 3
29/12/12 Hull City 2-0 Leeds United Hull City 2-0 Leeds United 0 0
26/12/12 Nottingham Forest 4-1 Leeds United Nottingham Forest 4-2 Leeds United 0 0
22/12/12 Leeds United 2-1 Middlesbrough Leeds United 2-1 Middlesbrough 3 3
15/12/12 Leeds United 2-0 Ipswich Town Leeds United 2-0 Ipswich Town 3 3
08/12/12 Derby County 2-1 Leeds United Derby County 3-1 Leeds United 0 0
01/12/12 Huddersfield Town 2-3 Leeds United Huddersfield Town 2-4 Leeds United 3 3
27/11/12 Leeds United 1-0 Leicester City Leeds United 1-0 Leicester City 3 3
24/11/12 Leeds United 1-0 Crystal Palace Leeds United 2-1 Crystal Palace 3 3
18/11/12 Millwall 0-0 Leeds United Millwall 1-0 Leeds United 1 0
10/11/12 Leeds United 0-2 Watford Leeds United 1-6 Watford 0 0
06/11/12 Burnley 0-0 Leeds United Burnley 1-0 Leeds United 1 0
02/11/12 Brighton 2-2 Leeds United Brighton 2-2 Leeds United 1 1
27/10/12 Leeds United 0-0 Birmingham City Leeds United 0-1 Birmingham City 1 0
23/10/12 Leeds United 1-1 Charlton Leeds United 1-1 Charlton 1 1
19/10/12 Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Leeds United Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Leeds United 1 1
06/10/12 Leeds United 1-0 Barnsley Leeds United 1-0 Barnsley 3 3
02/10/12 Bolton 1-2 Leeds United Bolton 2-2 Leeds United 3 1
29/09/12 Bristol City 1-1 Leeds United Bristol City 2-3 Leeds United 1 3
22/09/12 Leeds United 2-1 Nottingham Forest Leeds United 2-1 Nottingham Forest 3 3
18/09/12 Leeds United 1-2 Hull City Leeds United 2-3 Hull City 0 0
15/09/12 Cardiff City 2-0 Leeds United Cardiff City 2-1 Leeds United 0 0
01/09/12 Leeds United 3-2 Blackburn Rovers Leeds United 3-3 Blackburn Rovers 3 1
25/08/12 Peterborough 1-2 Leeds United Peterborough 1-2 Leeds United 3 3
21/08/12 Blackpool 0-1 Leeds United Blackpool 2-1 Leeds United 3 0
18/08/12 Leeds United 1-0 Wolves Leeds United 1-0 Wolves 3 3
67 52

The table shows that over the course of this season, Leeds United have lost a sum total of 15 points in the final 15 minutes of games (17 points dropped, 2 points gained) – that’s enough points to put us in 4th place, above Crystal Palace with a 7 point cushion over teams chasing a play-off finish.

Equally damning is how few points we’ve gained in the final 15 minutes of games. Only once this season have Leeds United improved their points haul in the final 15 minutes of a match, and that result came way back in September against Bristol City.

If the hallmark of every good side is an ability to fight to the very end and claim late points, Leeds United are the exact opposite of that. Perhaps we should petition the FA to shorten football matches?