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Albion striker ready for showdown
Jermaine Beckford has just emerged from a mini goal famine for Leeds.
Albion will be hoping Glenn Murray can do the same in their showdown at Elland Road.
The clash between the League One play-off chasers brings together two potent strike pairings now that Beckford has been joined by Dougie Freedman on loan from Crystal Palace.
Beckford scored against Albion when he was on loan to Scunthorpe last season. The Seagulls will also not need reminding that Freedman struck twice when he last played against them for Palace at Withdean two seasons ago.
Murray and Nicky Forster will be just as much of a worry for the Leeds defence. They have scored a total of 13 goals in 13 starts together since Murray's £300,000 move from Rochdale.
Forster goes into the game with eight in his last eight starts. Murray has hit the target once over the same period, in the win at Walsall, which was the only time he and Forster have both scored in the same game.
Murray, who netted four times in his first five starts for Albion, said: "I am very happy with my return and especially with the partnership goal return, because Nicky hadn't scored for quite a while before I came.
"It's good for us both to be scoring. I think we are a lot more used to each other now."
It is not only about scoring goals for Murray and Forster. Manager Dean Wilkins wants Albion to defend from the front as well.
Murray said: "It's a massive role, just not letting their centre halves pick balls out. We certainly had to do that against Forest on Monday. It was a very hard shift but we got our just rewards.
"It's a team game and although we didn't score we got that vital point which lifted us into a play-off place."
Albion will drop below Leeds if they lose, so the stakes are high.
Murray is confident. "There is no doubt the lads will be up for it. You can't not be playing in front of 20,000," he said.
"I think we can push on and make a promotion place ours now.
"We have adapted to the shapes we are playing (4-4-2 or midfield diamond).
"Everyone knows what they are doing and I think that helps us.
"We do a lot of work on the training ground on our formations and that has been paying off on match days. We'll just concentrate on ourselves, no-one else. It's nice when others lose but we don't get distracted by it. We know our job."
The job for the defence is to shackle Freedman and Beckford.
The latter's matchwinning double against Walsall at Elland Road last Saturday followed one goal in ten, a penalty against Nottingham Forest, after a prolific first half of the season.
Leeds boss Gary McAllister said: "He needed a goal, there's no doubt about that. His head's been down a bit but that's what strikers are like. They need goals and they thrive on them."
Who thrives most in front of goal this time will have a major bearing on the result.
9:28pm Friday 28th March 2008
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