Leeds United 2-4 Bolton Wanderers: Retro archive match remembered

This week, we go back 20 years to see Henrik Pedersen score his first Premier League goals in a 4-2 win at Leeds United.

Back in Denmark, Henrik Pedersen had earned the nickname “Tømrer” or translated “carpenter” for turning up for training sessions in his work clothes.

Whilst working his way up the part-time football ladder he had earned extra money as an office assistant and a sweeper in a warehouse, but his big move to England was also turning out to be hard work – at least until a game at Leeds United 20 years ago.

Wanderers’ second season back among the elite had started well enough, with Kevin Nolan supplying a memorable goal to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in September.

Sam Allardyce had begun to sprinkle some stardust on his squad – Jay-Jay Okocha, Youri Djorkaeff, Ivan Campo all head-spinning transfers at the time – but in truth, the new mix was struggling to settle and the Whites found themselves bottom of the table with nine points from their first 12 games.

Goals had dried up. Michael Ricketts had not scored from open play since January and it would be a matter of months before he moved on to Middlesbrough. Dean Holdsworth was also in a dry spell, whilst Henrik Pedersen had not scored in the Premier League since signing at the Reebok the previous summer for £650,000.

A different Dane, Per Frandsen, had rescued a point against West Brom a weekend earlier – but the headlines had been grabbed by Allardyce’s rant at ref Mike Riley, who had sent off defender Bruno N’Gotty just 20 minutes into the match.

Nevertheless, Big Sam fancied his chances against a Leeds team who were themselves blowing hot and cold, particularly at Elland Road. Their involvement in the UEFA Cup a few days before their Sunday meeting with Bolton was viewed as an advantage, and while they crashed four goals past Israeli side Hapoel Tel Aviv in a game played in Florence, it was thought the travelling would take its toll on a squad missing some big players through injury in Robbie Fowler, Danny Mills, Lucas Radebe, Seth Johnson, Dominic Matteo and Olivier Dacourt, not to mention the suspended Lee Bowyer.

The Bolton boss decided to give Pedersen the responsibility of leading his attacking line having seen his confidence spike during small-sided games in training, where he suddenly started to find a scoring knack.

His decision paid off handsomely as the former Silkeborg man took just three minutes to get off the mark, Djorkaeff drifting off the left to slide a pass into his path, buried past Paul Robinson into the bottom corner.

Within a minute, Leeds were level. Harry Kewell got in behind Anthony Barness and cut a ball back for Alan Smith to curl around Campo past the dive of Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Undeterred, Wanderers went on to play some of their best attacking football of the season to that point. There had been some discussion as to whether Djorkaeff’s best days were behind him after a slow start to the campaign but the Frenchman regained a spark against Leeds that would rarely fade again that season.

Okocha too was starting to gain the fitness and confidence to let loose his bag of tricks, willed on my makeshift full-back Jason Wilcox.

When N’Gotty pulled up injured after an hour, Allardyce was even able to change formation without losing much continuity and after bringing Djorkaeff into the middle, he swapped deft passes with Okocha on the edge of the box before stroking his shot into the net with 10 minutes left.

Allardyce would later accuse his team of “professional suicide” after seeing the lead thrown away again.

This time Smith’s progress wasn’t checked, enabling the young striker to slip a pass wide for Kewell, whose angled shot was powerful enough to beat Jaaskelainen.

As the game ticked down to its final minute, Bolton surged forward again. Ricketts ran on to Bernard Mendy’s ball and drew a challenge from keeper Robinson that sent him tumbling. Referee Allan Wiley pointed to the spot, and the England striker got up to score his third penalty from three attempts.

The action wasn’t finished yet. Pedersen capped off a great afternoon, volleying a brilliant second from Tofting’s chipped cross. But for the width of the post, he would have had a hat-trick too.

"Having complained about the front line not finding the back of the net, they have stuffed it right up me,” grinned Allardyce, as his decision to start Pedersen paid off.

"And long may that continue because, if it does, there is only one way for us to go and that's up!"

Wanderers were indeed off the bottom of the Premier League table, nudging just ahead of West Brom and West Ham.

Of course, their safety would remain in doubt right up to the last game of the season, but for Pedersen it was the start of a golden period in his career.

He would share top-scorer title with Djorkaeff and Okocha that season, scoring seven times in all, and score nine in the two campaigns that followed.

"It was lovely," said the delighted Dane after vanquishing Leeds. "My first goals in the Premier League.

"I've waited a long time for this. I had a big opportunity at the beginning of the season but they didn't go in.

"Last season at Leeds I had my first start and it went very well for me but it went even better this time. We're off the bottom now and that's nice. We can look forward again with confidence because we have shown we can beat one of the best teams in the league."