United players a credit to club

9:46am Sunday 20th April 2008

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Millwall 0, Leeds United 2

Gary McAllister paid a glowing tribute to the players who have virtually secured Leeds' promotion play-off place.

The manager had to admit United were second best for much of the game at Millwall but David Prutton and Andrew Hughes taught the Lions a lesson in finishing to steal the points and purge the West Yorkshire derby defeat at Huddersfield earlier in the week.

It means Leeds have lost just one of their last eight matches and, with two games left, are four points clear of seventh-placed Brighton with a much better goal difference. Victory at Yeovil on Friday night would therefore guarantee qualification for the play-offs.

McAllister will not accept a play-off place has been sealed until it is mathematically impossible to be caught but he greatly admires his side's achievement in amassing 85 points, minus the 15 deducted by the Football League.

Whether those 15 points will be returned by the arbitration panel, which is sitting for a fourth day tomorrow, remains to be seen but McAllister said: "The players were given a massive handicap at the start of the season yet I don't think I have heard anyone complain or drop his head.

"It was such a harsh decision but they just got on with their job and you have to admire them for that.

"They came through the effects of losing the first-team coach (Gus Poyet) and then the manager (Dennis Wise) and somebody new coming in, so it has been a very eventful season for this group of players. Yet I haven't heard much press about that outside Elland Road."

United were again without leading scorer Jermaine Beckford, after McAllister decided against risking him, but he should have recovered fully from his ankle injury in time to turn out against Yeovil in the penultimate game.

Striker Anthony Elding made only his second start since arriving from Stockport at the end of January, with Tresor Kandol dropped to the bench.

Dougie Freedman again gave a tireless display in the attack and United overcame the absence of suspended captain Jonathan Douglas.

Youngster Jonny Howson was given the honour of wearing the armband but he missed a good chance shortly before the end of a goalless first half.

Millwall's Jem Karacan had a shot turned on to the bar by Casper Ankergren after the break and Freedman was only a whisker away from scoring for United, before Prutton's 25-yard volley broke the deadlock on 70 minutes.

Substitute Hughes turned Bradley Johnson's cross into the net eight minutes later for his first goal in his 39th game for the club and the smash-and-grab was complete.

McAllister said: "We've got to hold our hands up and say we rode our luck and that Millwall did well - but we take the slice of luck and move on to the next game."

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