WARNOCK : We would have lost in midweek.
Leeds United boss Neil Warnock says the decision to play the game against Shrewsbury Town in the first round of the Capital One League Cup on Saturday rather than in midweek helped Leeds secure a place in round two of the competition.
With the Football League season kicking off two weeks later than normal due to the Olympic Games taking place in London the first round of the League Cup is the first competitive fixtures for teams involved.
The Football League gave clubs involved the option of playing the game over the weekend or sticking with the original midweek dates planned for the first round.
A number of clubs decided to bring their ties forward to the weekend, meaning a competitive game rather than one last pre-season friendly.
Leeds were given a tough tie by their League One opponents. Warnock admitted after the game that he was able to put out a full strength squad for this game, where he would have rested a large number of his first team squad had the game taken place just days before the new season kicked off against Wolverhampton Wanderers next Saturday.
"If I am being honest, if it had been on Tuesday we would have been beaten. I thought they were a good side and I would have probably only have played four or five of the players that played today and that would not have been good enough against Shrewsbury."
Leeds goalkeeper Paddy Kenny kept his side in the game in the opening fifteen minutes with great saves to deny Mark Wright and Jermaine Grandison.
The game changed as a contest once Luciano Becchio pounced on a defender error in the 20th minute to give Leeds the lead.
Luke Varney doubled the lead soon afterwards after good work by Ross McCormack and Leeds were now in control of the game.
Further second half goals by David Norris and Ross McCormack got Leeds off to the perfect start to the season and they can now spend the week preparing for the visit of Wolves next Saturday.
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