Warnock takes blame for Leeds United draw (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Neil Warnock takes blame for Leeds United draw

5:50am Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in Sport

Neil Warnock shouldered the blame for his Leeds side conceding two set-piece goals to Kevin Davies in a 2-2 draw with Bolton at the Reebok.

Two headers from the evergreen striker bookended a competitive Roses game, with Leeds having equalised through Sam Byram and gone ahead through Luciano Becchio’s penalty in between times.

United were unable to make it four straight wins, though, owing to Davies’ aerial supremacy, with Warnock happy to take responsibility.

He gave the job of marking the former Blackburn man to Rodolph Austin, a Jamaica international who has spent his career in Norway and is largely unaware of Davies’ battering ram reputation.

“That’s my fault, I gave Rudy Kevin Davies and he doesn’t know much about him,” said Warnock.

“I thought we coped with him really well in general play, but he got us on the set-pieces.”

Warnock was largely happy to return to Yorkshire with a point, though, claiming the result shows how far his promotion-chasing side have come since he assembled them in the summer.

“It’s not often you come to Bolton and you are disappointed to get a point,” he said.

“That shows how far we have come in a few weeks. We have a lot of new people, we have a lot of injuries but we are improving every week.

“I expected there would be an early onslaught from them but after that we got to grips with them and I was happy with how they were going.”

While Warnock was more than happy to settle for a point, Bolton manager Owen Coyle tried his best not to be critical of referee Phil Dowd.

He had issues with the award of Leeds’ penalty - Matt Mills pushed over Byram - while he felt his side should have had a spot-kick of their own.

“The first one should have been given on Keith, when he was totally upended, but it’s so obvious. We had a stonewall decision,” he said.

“And then you get to Leeds’. I’m loathe to call it a soft award because it wasn’t even that. Soft doesn’t do it merit. But our performance level in the first half was outstanding, in terms of passing and the chances we created.

“Leeds like to play for free-kicks in the final third and we got caught with one just before half-time and we went in feeling aggrieved. Then you had the alleged challenge for the penalty.

“It should have been three points tonight, but we need to keep banging on the door and decisions can’t go on being as cruel as they are. But we will take our medicine and come through the other side smiling.”