Leeds United need to halt Kevin Phillips (From York Press)

Leeds United need to halt Kevin Phillips

11:16am Friday 8th March 2013 in Sport

STILL rankled at the loss of an admirable win at Leicester City, Leeds United manager Neil Warnock must now prepare to quell the threat of one of the nation’s most potent predators.

Warnock takes his men to one of his former clubs Crystal Palace aware the Eagles front-line is led by veteran goal-poacher Kevin Phillips.

At the time that Leeds were lamenting the stoppage-time leveller at Leicester that consigned them to a share of the points from a 1-1 draw, the 39-year-old Phillips, left, was banging in a hat-trick during Palace’s 4-1 conquest of Hull City to keep their promotion push alive and kicking.

In his first start for Palace on loan from Blackpool, Phillips’ treble treat took him to five goals in as many appearances, further underlining the danger he poses.

But as motivation Warnock might well turn to the sense of injustice he and his men felt after being deprived of victory at the King Power Stadium.

Leeds had gone ahead with a superb strike from York-born Sam Byram.

But the victory bid was snuffed out in the fourth minute of stoppage time by a Michael Keane header.

Declared Warnock: “Everyone was so disappointed. We felt it so unjust. There were so many controversial decisions in the last ten minutes of the game.

“We should have so many more points than we have, but the lads are working as hard as they can.”